Long-term intervention with Lactobacillus helveticus fermented milk reduces augmentation index in hypertensive subjects

• Published in: European journal of clinical nutrition 2010-04, Vol.64 (4), p.424-431
• Main Authors: Jauhiainen, T, Ronnback, M, Vapaatalo, H, Wuolle, K, Kautiainen, H, Groop, P.H, Korpela, R
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: 692/699/75/243; 692/700/139/1735; 692/700/565/2072; Adult; Animals; Antihypertensive Agents - pharmacology; Antihypertensive Agents - therapeutic use; Arterial hypertension. Arterial hypotension; arterial stiffness; arteries; Atherosclerosis; bioactive properties; Biological and medical sciences; Blood and lymphatic vessels; Blood pressure; Blood Pressure - drug effects; Cardiology. Vascular system; Caseins - chemistry; Caseins - metabolism; Chemical properties; Clinical Nutrition; Complications and side effects; Composition; Diet therapy; dose response; Dose-response effects; Double-Blind Method; endothelium; Endothelium, Vascular - drug effects; Epidemiology; Feeding. Feeding behavior; Female; Fermentation; fermented milk; Food Microbiology; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Health aspects; human diseases; human nutrition; Humans; Hypertension; Hypertension - drug therapy; Hypertension - metabolism; Inhalation; Internal Medicine; Intervention; isoleucine; Lactobacillus; Lactobacillus helveticus; long term experiments; Male; Medical sciences; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Metabolic Diseases; Middle Aged; Milk; Milk - chemistry; Milk - metabolism; Milk - microbiology; Nutrition research; nutritional intervention; Oligopeptides - pharmacology; Oligopeptides - therapeutic use; Original; original-article; patients; Peptides; Pressure measurement; Prevention; Probiotics; proline; Public Health; Radial Artery; Risk factors; tripeptides; valine; Vertebrates: anatomy and physiology, studies on body, several organs or systems; Wave analysis
• ISSN: 0954-3007; 1476-5640
• DOI: 10.1038/ejcn.2010.3

Background: The milk casein-derived biologically active tripeptides, isoleucyl-prolyl-proline (Ile-Pro-Pro) and valyl-prolyl-proline (Val-Pro-Pro), have documented antihypertensive effect probably related to reduced angiotensin formation. It has been suggested that these tripeptides may reduce arterial stiffness and improve endothelial function. Our aim was to evaluate whether the milk-based drink containing Ile-Pro-Pro and Val-Pro-Pro influence arterial stiffness, measured as augmentation index (AIx), and endothelial function in man. Methods: In a double-blind parallel group intervention study, 89 hypertensive subjects received daily peptide milk containing a low dose of tripeptides (5 mg/day) for 12 weeks and a high dose (50 mg/day) for the following 12 weeks, or a placebo milk drink to titrate the dose–response effect. Arterial stiffness was assessed by pulse wave analysis at the beginning and end of each intervention period. Endothelial function was tested by examining pulse wave reflection response to sublingual nitroglycerin and salbutamol inhalation. Blood pressure was measured by using office and 24-h ambulatory blood pressure measurement. Results: At the end of the second intervention period, AIx decreased significantly in the peptide group compared with the placebo group (peptide group −1.53% (95% confidence interval (CI) −2.95 to −0.12), placebo group 1.20% (95% CI 0.09–2.32), P=0·013). No change in endothelial function index was observed (peptide group 0.02 (95% CI −0.06 to 0.08), placebo group 0.04 (95% CI −0.04 to 0.12), P=0.85). There were no statistically significant differences between the effects of the peptide and placebo treatment on office and 24-h ambulatory blood pressure. Conclusions: Long-term treatment with Lactobacillus helveticus-fermented milk containing bioactive peptides reduces arterial stiffness expressed as AIx in hypertensive subjects.