Allicin relaxes isolated mesenteric arteries through activation of PKA-Kchannel in rat.

Abstract

Allicin is a natural effective organosulfur compound isolated from garlic, which possesses many beneficial properties, such as antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, hypotensive and hypolipidemic. In the present study, we investigated the effects and the underlying mechanisms of allicin on isolated mesenteric arteries (MAs). We examined MAs relaxation induced by allicin on rat-isolated mesenteric artery (MA) rings, the Kchannels with patch, and the expression of Kir6.1 and SUR2B with western blotting and NO production with Diaminofluorescein-FM diacetate (DAF-FMDA) in rat mesenteric artery smooth muscle cells (MASMCs). The results showed that allicin elicited the dose-dependent vasorelaxation effect with phenylephrine (PE) precontracted rat MA rings. The vasorelaxation effect was endothelium and NO independent but could be diminished by inhibition of PKA and Kchannels in the vascular smooth muscle. Allicin activated Kchannels in rat MASMCs, and the activation of Kchannels was inhibited by the inhibitors of PKA and Kchannels. But allicin had no effect on the expression of Ksubtypes Kir6.1 and SUR2B. These observations suggest that allicin exerts vasorelaxation effect through activation of PKA-Ksignaling pathway.