Antispasmodic effect of 4'-methylepigallocatechin on guinea pig ileum.

AbstractThe antispasmodic effect of 4′-methylepigallocatechin (MEC), which was isolated from Maytenus rigida Mart (Celestraceae), was investigated in vitro in guinea pig intestinal segments. In the isolated ileum, MEC (1 nM–100μM) did not modify the ileal spontaneous tonus or the electrically elicited contractions. MEC (8μM) significantly (p<0.01) reduced the submaximal contractions induced by histamine (2μM), carbachol (100μM) and BaCl2 (0.03M). An additive relaxing action (p<0.001) was observed by co-incubation of verapamil (10 nM) and MEC (8μM). Although MEC (1nM–100μM) did not modify the contractions elicited by 60mM KCl, it significantly reduced the CaCl2 contractile response without c…