Acute Effects of Origanum compactum on the Cardiovascular System

Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are the number one cause of death globally, affecting many people in low- and middle-income countries. Recent studies suggested that high-molecular-weight advanced glycation end-products (HMW-AGEs) contribute to CVD development. Despite the lack of scientific knowledge, plant extracts of Origanum compactum (O. compactum) are commonly used by the Moroccan population to treat diseases like diabetes and hypertension. In this study, we investigated the acute effects of O. compactum on the cardiovascular system and whether it can prevent the harmful effects caused by HMW-AGEs. To investigate this, cardiomyocytes were isolated from healthy Sprague-Dawley rats by enzymatic dissociation through retrograde perfusion of the aorta. Cardiomyocytes were used as control or pre-incubated for 30 minutes with O. compactum (1, 5, 10 or 100 μg/mL). Unloaded cell shortening was measured before and after application of HMW-AGEs (200 μg/mL) for 7 minutes. Whole-cell patch-clamp was performed to measure the electrophysiological properties. Additionally, the effect of O. compactum was assessed on the contraction and relaxation responses of aortic rings to phenylephrine (PE), acetylcholine (ACh), and sodium nitroprusside (SNP). Our study demonstrates that O. compactum increases cardiomyocyte unloaded cell shortening and contributes to arterial stiffness, promoting hypertension.