OBJECTIVETo study the effect of Zhenzhu Qishi Wan on blood pressure(BP), body weight(BW), stroke and survival rate of stroke-prone spontaneously hypertension rats(SHRsp).

METHOD8-week-old SHRsp was randomly divided into three groups: control group, Zhenzhu Qishi Wan prevention group and therapy group (n = 10). SHRsp of prevention group were treated with Zhenzhu Qishi Wan by ig 150 mg.kg-1 per day for 6 weeks, and therapy group were given the same treatment two weeks later. Behavior and stroke were observed everyday; BW were weighted every week; BP were estimated every 2 weeks. Time of the first cerebral seizure of SHRsp was recorded.

RESULTZhenzhu Qishi Wan had obvious preventive and therapeutic effect on genetic hypertension. The BP of prevention and therapy groups were significantly lower than that of control group (P < 0.05 [symbol: see text] P < 0.01). The drug ameliorated general behavior of SHRsp, BW of prevention group increased faster than that of control group(P < 0.05 or P < 0.01), and BW of therapy group were also heavier than that of control group at the age of 14 weeks(P < 0.05). When the experiment ended, 60% SHRsp of control group showed stroke and 20% of them were dead, while only 20% SHRsp in each of Zhenzhu Qishi Wan-treated groups showed stroke and none of them died.

CONCLUSIONZhenzhu Qishi Wan had significant hypotensive effect, and some protective effect on the stroke caused by hypertension.