ANTIHYPERTENSIVE AND ANTIHYPERLIPIDEMIC EFFECTS OF FUNORAN

Studies were conducted to determine the mechanism of blood pressure- a nd cholesterol-lowering effects of funoran on rats fed with a saline s olution and cholesterol diet. Clofibrate (COIB) was used as a referenc e hypolipidemic drug. Funoran caused significant reduction of systolic blood pressure (SBP). Funoran and CPIB significantly reduced serum to tal cholesterol (TC), free cholesterol (FC), triglyceride (TG), LDL-ch olesterol (LDL), and atherogenic index (AI) levels in these rats. The increase of sodium, water excretion and sodium-potassium ratio in urin e in the funoran group was more significant in the experimental rats t han in the control group. Moreover, the ratio of Na and K in serum dec reased with the funoran diet. The CPIB diet enhanced cholesterol level in the liver while the funoran diet suppressed the level, but in fece s the former diet did not change the cholesterol level while the latte r diet increased it. These results suggest that the enhanced ability t o excrete sodium in urine by the funoran diet is an important factor f or reducing blood pressure and that the antihyperlipidemic effect of f unoran was not caused by the mobilization of peripheral cholesterol on the liver, but by the enhanced excretion of cholesterol into feces.