Antihypertensive and antioxidant effects of supplementation with red wine pomace in spontaneously hypertensive rats

Food Funct. 2017 Jul 19;8(7):2444-2454. doi: 10.1039/c7fo00390k.

Abstract

Hypertension is associated with enhanced vascular oxidative stress and impaired endothelial function, which is related to an imbalance between reactive oxygen species and nitric oxide bioavailability. Short-term supplementation with a polyphenol-rich powdered red wine pomace seasoning (RWPS) was investigated for its effects on blood pressure and biomarkers of endothelial dysfunction and oxidative status in a model of essential hypertension. Male spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRs) and normotensive Wistar-Kyoto rats (12-week-old, 5 rats per group) were administered RWPS (300 mg kg-1 day-1; equivalent to 7.32 mg gallic acid per kg per day) or vehicle by gavage. In SHRs, 4-week RWPS supplementation progressively decreased blood pressure, reaching 11.5% reduction at the end of the study (p < 0.001). RWPS consumption also increased the ferric reducing ability of plasma and attenuated the oxidation of plasma lipids and proteins, as evidenced by F2-isoprostanes, malondialdehyde and protein carbonyl groups as oxidative stress biomarkers. Moreover, nitric oxide production (indirectly measured) was 1.5-fold higher in SHRs + RWPS than that in SHRs (p < 0.05). These beneficial effects were partly attributed to the ability of RWPS-derived bioactive compounds to modulate aortic gene expression, with eNOS, SOD2 and HO-1 over-expression, ACE down-regulation, and no changes in NOX4. In conclusion, this study suggests the potential of red wine pomace-derived seasonings to help in the management of hypertension.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Antihypertensive Agents / administration & dosage*
  • Antioxidants / administration & dosage*
  • Blood Pressure / drug effects
  • Essential Hypertension
  • Heme Oxygenase-1 / genetics
  • Heme Oxygenase-1 / metabolism
  • Humans
  • Hypertension / drug therapy*
  • Hypertension / metabolism
  • Hypertension / physiopathology
  • Male
  • Malondialdehyde / metabolism
  • Nitric Oxide / metabolism
  • Plant Extracts / administration & dosage*
  • Rats
  • Rats, Inbred SHR
  • Rats, Inbred WKY
  • Reactive Oxygen Species / metabolism
  • Superoxide Dismutase / genetics
  • Superoxide Dismutase / metabolism
  • Vitis / chemistry*
  • Wine / analysis

Substances

  • Antihypertensive Agents
  • Antioxidants
  • Plant Extracts
  • Reactive Oxygen Species
  • Nitric Oxide
  • Malondialdehyde
  • Heme Oxygenase-1
  • Superoxide Dismutase
  • superoxide dismutase 2