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

We investigated the antihypertensive effect of Brand's Essence of Chicken (BEC), a popular chicken extract used as a traditional remedy, using deoxycorticosterone acetate (DOCA)-salt hypertensive rats. Animals were unilaterally nephrectomized, and then separated into a sham-operated group (sham group) and a DOCA-salt-treated group. The latter was further separated into a normal diet group and a BEC (freeze-dried powder, 0.1 w/w%)-containing diet group. Systolic blood pressure of the normal diet group progressively increased in comparison with that of the sham group. The DOCA-salt-induced hypertension 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-salt-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 evaluated, DOCA-salt-induced increases in wall thickness and wall area of the vessels were significantly decreased by the BEC-feeding. Histopathological renal damage of fibrinoid-like necrosis in glomeruli, thickening of small arteries and tubular dilatation were observed in the DOCA-salt-treated normal diet group, but this damage was efficiently reduced by the BEC-feeding. In addition, BEC-feeding decreased urinary excretion of protein, which was elevated by the treatment with DOCA and salt. Thus, BEC seems to be useful as a prophylactic treatment in the development of hypertension and related tissue injuries.