Chronic Intake of a Phytochemical-Enriched Diet Reduces Cardiac Fibrosis and Diastolic Dysfunction Caused by Prolonged Salt-Sensitive Hypertension

• Published in: The journals of gerontology. Series A, Biological sciences and medical sciences Biological sciences and medical sciences, 2008-10, Vol.63 (10), p.1034-1042
• Main Authors: Seymour, E. M., Singer, Andrew A. M., Bennink, Maurice R., Parikh, Rushi V., Kirakosyan, Ara, Kaufman, Peter B., Bolling, Steven F.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Aging; Alternative medicine; Analysis of Variance; Animals; Diet; Drinking water; Endomyocardial Fibrosis - diet therapy; Endomyocardial Fibrosis - etiology; Endomyocardial Fibrosis - physiopathology; Fruit; Fruits; Heart failure; Heart Failure, Diastolic - diet therapy; Heart Failure, Diastolic - etiology; Heart Failure, Diastolic - physiopathology; Hydralazine - administration & dosage; Hydralazine - pharmacology; Hypertension; Hypertension - etiology; Hypertension - physiopathology; Life sciences; Mortality; Nutrition; Patients; Public health; Random Allocation; Rats; Rats, Inbred Dahl; Sodium Chloride, Dietary - pharmacology; Vegetables
• ISSN: 1079-5006; 1758-535X
• DOI: 10.1093/gerona/63.10.1034

Salt-sensitive hypertension is common in the aged population. Increased fruit and vegetable intake reduces hypertension, but its effect on eventual diastolic dysfunction is unknown. This relationship is tested in the Dahl Salt-Sensitive (Dahl-SS) rat model of salt-sensitive hypertension and diastolic dysfunction. Table grape powder contains phytochemicals that are relevant to human diets. For 18 weeks, male Dahl-SS rats were fed one of five diets: low salt (LS), a low salt + grape powder (LSG), high salt (HS), a high salt + grape powder (HSG), or high salt + vasodilator hydralazine (HSH). Compared to the HS diet, the HSG diet lowered blood pressure and improved cardiac function; reduced systemic inflammation; reduced cardiac hypertrophy, fibrosis, and oxidative damage; and increased cardiac glutathione. The HSH diet similarly reduced blood pressure but did not reduce cardiac pathogenesis. The LSG diet reduced cardiac oxidative damage and increased cardiac glutathione. In conclusion, physiologically relevant phytochemical intake reduced salt-sensitive hypertension and diastolic dysfunction.