Antihypertensive effects of chicken extract against deoxycorticosterone acetate-salt-induced hypertension in rats

We investigated the anti hypertensive effect of Brand's Essence of Chicken (BEC), a popular chicken extract used as a traditional remedy, using deoxyc orticosterone acetate (DOCA)-salt hypertensive rats. Animals were unilatera lly nephrectomized, and then separated into a sham-operated group (sham gro up) and a DOCA-salt-treated group. The latter was further separated into a normal diet group and a BEC (freeze-dried powder, 0.1w/w%)-containing diet group. Systolic blood pressure of the normal diet group progressively incre ased in comparison with that of the sham group. The DOCA-salt-induced hyper tension was markedly suppressed by feeding a BEC-containing diet. Systolic blood pressure after 5 weeks was 128 +/-2 mmHg in sham group, 181 +/-4 mmHg in the DOCA-salt-treated normal diet group and 139 +/-5 mmHg in the DOCA-s alt-treated BEC diet group, respectively. The treatment with DOCA and salt for 5 weeks significantly increased the weights of heart and left ventricle , but these increases were significantly suppressed in the BEC group. When the degree of vascular hypertrophy of the aorta was histochemically evaluat ed, DOCA-salt-induced increases in wall thickness and wall area of the vess els were significantly decreased by the BEC-feeding. Histopathological rena l damage of fibrinoid-like necrosis in glomeruli, thickening of small arter ies and tubular dilatation were observed in the DOCA-salt-treated normal di et group, but this damage was efficiently reduced by the BEC-feeding. In ad dition, BEC-feeding decreased urinary excretion of protein, which was eleva ted by the treatment with DOCA and salt. Thus, BEC seems to be useful as a prophylactic treatment in the development of hypertension and related tissu e injuries.