Effectiveness of B Vitamins on the Control of Hypertension and Stroke Events of SHRSP Rats

• Published in: Journal of dietary supplements 2010-03, Vol.7 (1), p.71-77
• Main Authors: França, Camille Feitoza, Vianna, Lucia Marques
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Analysis of Variance; Animals; Antihypertensive Agents - pharmacology; Antihypertensive Agents - therapeutic use; Antioxidants - pharmacology; Antioxidants - therapeutic use; Ataxia - prevention & control; B vitamins; Biological and medical sciences; Blood Pressure - drug effects; Dietary Supplements; Folic Acid - pharmacology; Folic Acid - therapeutic use; Food industries; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Homocysteine - blood; Hypertension - blood; Hypertension - drug therapy; Ischemia - complications; Male; Malondialdehyde - blood; oxidative stress; Oxidative Stress - drug effects; Postural Balance; Pyridoxine - pharmacology; Pyridoxine - therapeutic use; Rats; Rats, Inbred SHR; Research and development. New food products, dietetic foods and beverages; Riboflavin - pharmacology; Riboflavin - therapeutic use; Seizures - prevention & control; Stroke - blood; Stroke - prevention & control; stroke-prone rats; Treatment Outcome; Vitamin B Complex - pharmacology; Vitamin B Complex - therapeutic use
• ISSN: 1939-0211; 1939-022X
• DOI: 10.3109/19390210903535035

The spontaneously hypertensive stroke-prone rat (SHRSP) is a recognized animal model for the study of severe hypertension and stroke, being characterized by presenting an elevated tissue levels of free radicals. Therefore, this study has the main goal to identify the effect of B vitamins, closely associated to the control of oxidative stress, on SHRSP rats. After 10 days (baseline period), the animals, 18 SHRSP rats at 18 weeks of age, were divided into three groups with six rats treated with riboflavin (B2), six treated with pyridoxine (B6) plus folic acid (B9), and control. Body weight, water and food intake, diuresis, sensory-motor responses, and systolic blood pressure of all the rats were determined daily. Physical aspects of whole body (i.e., distribution and coloring of hair, skin and mucosa, and an eventual presence of bleeding, stains, cracks, or opacification) and behavior were equally monitored. The data were evaluated by ANOVA two-way and p < .05 was considered significant. The supraphysiologic doses did not cause toxic effects. There was a significant decrease of systolic blood pressure, homocysteine, and malondialdehyde (MDA) blood levels in animals under B vitamin supplementation. The treatment also inhibited the neurological signs of an ischemic attack (unbalance, ataxia, and convulsions). The findings reported here suggest that B vitamin therapy was effective for the control of systolic blood pressure and oxidative stress. Hence, it could be thought as one of the alternative therapies to prevent the occurrence of stroke.