Effects of thymoquinone, the major constituent of Nigella sativa seeds, on the contractile responses of rat vas deferens

7Citations
Citations of this article
8Readers
Mendeley users who have this article in their library.

Abstract

We have evaluated the effects of thymoquinone on smooth muscle contraction in the isolated rat epididymal vas deferens using tension recording technique. The contractile responses to norepinephrine (NE), KCl, and electrical field stimulation were recorded using an isometric transducer. Thymoquinone inhibited the contractile responses to exogenous NE (100 μM) and KCl (80 mM) in a concentration-dependent manner. Moreover, thymoquinone reduced the amplitude of electrically-evoked contraction of vas deferens in a concentration-dependent manner. Cumulative addition concentrations of CaCl2 (0.1-10 mM) to tissue bath failed to increase the amplitude of contractile responses to electrical field stimulation in the presence of thymoquinone (80 μM). These results indicate that thymoquinone induced non-selective and concentration-dependent inhibition of contractile responses to NE, KCl, and electrical field stimulation. This action may be due to the ability of this alkaloid to interfere with the mobilization of Ca2+ required for smooth muscle contraction.

Cite

CITATION STYLE

APA

Parvardeh, S., & Fatehi, M. (2003). Effects of thymoquinone, the major constituent of Nigella sativa seeds, on the contractile responses of rat vas deferens. Pharmaceutical Biology, 41(8), 616–621. https://doi.org/10.1080/13880200390502135

Register to see more suggestions

Mendeley helps you to discover research relevant for your work.

Already have an account?

Save time finding and organizing research with Mendeley

Sign up for free