Tropical Journal of Pharmaceutical Research

Original Research Article | OPEN ACCESS

Effect of ethanol root extract of Equisetum arvense (L) on urinary bladder activity in rats and analysis of principal plant constituents

Haiying Zhang¹, Ning Li¹, Kun Li^2,3, Peng Li¹

¹Department of Urology of Yantai Hill Hospital, No. 91 of Jiefang Road, Yantai City, 264001; ²Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics of Affiliated Hospital of Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, No. 38, Wuyingshan Road, Jinan City, 250031; ³Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, No. 89, Jingshi Road, Jinan City, Shandong Province, 250062, China.

For correspondence:- Peng Li Email: lipeng186186@gmail.com

Received: 28 October 2014 Accepted: 11 June 2015 Published: 30 August 2015

Citation: Zhang H, Li N, Li K, Li P. Effect of ethanol root extract of Equisetum arvense (L) on urinary bladder activity in rats and analysis of principal plant constituents. Trop J Pharm Res 2015; 14(8):1451-1458 doi: 10.4314/tjpr.v14i8.18

© 2015 The authors.
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Abstract

Purpose: To investigate the mechanism of action by which ethanol root extract of Equisetum arvense influences urinary bladder activity in rats, and to characterize the major compounds of the extract.

Methods: Ethanol (95 %) was used for hot extraction for 3 h in a Soxhlet extraction apparatus. A total of 36 female rats were divided into Equisetum arvense root extract-treated group (EA) and control group. Rats in EA group were treated with a standard diet containing 0.2 % of the extract, while rats in the control group were fed with the diet only. After 3 weeks, 12 rats underwent cystometry with 0.2 % acetic acid solution and bladder activity was recorded. In another 12 rats, blood pressure, body weight and adenosine triphosphate were measured. In the remaining 12 rats, 0.2 % acetic acid solution was infused into the bladder and urinary adenosine triphosphate determined before and after the stimulation.

Results: The results showed that during cystometry with acetic acid, the time interval between urinary bladder contractions was shorter and maximum bladder contraction pressure was much greater in rats in the control group, but in the Equisetum arvense group, the changes were much lower. Also in the Equisetum arvense group, plasma adrenaline and noradrenaline levels were lower than for the control group. Furthermore, increase in the levels of urinary adenosine triphosphate was smaller in Equisetum arvense group than in control group.

Conclusion: This study suggests that Equisetum arvense ethanol root extract influences urinary bladder activity by decreasing adenosine triphosphate release, and is therefore a potential therapeutic agent against bladder disorder. However, there is need for further investigation of its exact mechanism of action.

Keywords: Equisetum arvense, Bladder activity, Cystometry, Adenosine triphosphate release, adenosine triphosphate, Liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometr