Decreased blood pressure with acute administration of quercetin in L-NAME-induced hypertensive rats

Quercetin is known to reduce blood pressure (BP); however, its acute effects are unclear. We investigated the acute effects of quercetin on BP, aortic mechanical properties and vascular reactivity in female Sprague–Dawley (SD) rats. Hypertension was induced using L-NAME (40 mg/kg/day). Quercetin (4.5 mg/kg) was administered intravenously. Mechanical properties of the aortae were measured by echo-tracking in normotensive and hypertensive rats. L-NAME and quercetin quantities in the aorta were determined using AP-MALDI-MSI. Vascular reactivity was performed in mesenteric and renal arteries. L-NAME increased BP and PWVβ while decreasing strain. Quercetin decreased BP and ameliorated PWVβ in L-NAME-induced hypertensive rats. Ex vivo, the acetylcholine (ACh)-induced increase in tension at 100 μM was reduced in renal arteries when exposed to quercetin while phenylephrine (Phe)-induced contractile response was augmented. In quiescent rings of renal arteries incubated with L-NAME (10 μM) and TRAM-34 (1 μM), the ACh-induced vasoconstrictions were inhibited by quercetin. Quercetin resulted in concentration-dependent vasodilation in mesenteric arteries and increased its sensitivity to ACh-induced relaxations. Quercetin lowered BP in L-NAME-induced hypertensive rats, likely due to changes in aortic mechanical properties and relaxation of resistance arteries. Further research is warranted to clarify the acute effects of quercetin on renal arteries in this hypertensive model.