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Spirulina Extracts Improve Vascular Function of Arteries with Vascular Damage
Author(s) -
Alameda M. Teresa,
Ruiz Mireya,
Villalpando Diva M.,
VerdascoMartín Carlos M.,
Plaza Ignacio,
Otero Cristina,
Ferrer Mercedes
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
the faseb journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.709
H-Index - 277
eISSN - 1530-6860
pISSN - 0892-6638
DOI - 10.1096/fasebj.31.1_supplement.1017.6
Subject(s) - vasodilation , nitric oxide , spirulina (dietary supplement) , organ culture , medicine , endothelium , aorta , endothelial dysfunction , thoracic aorta , acetylcholine , pharmacology , vascular smooth muscle , endocrinology , chemistry , in vitro , biochemistry , smooth muscle , raw material , organic chemistry
Vascular dysfunction is characterized by an unbalance between relaxing and contracting factors, usually in favor of the latest ones, that maintained along the time could lead to cardiovascular diseases, such as hypertension. On the other hand, organ culture has been described to induce phenotypic changes in endothelial cells similar to those observed in some cardiovascular pathologies. In both hypertension and in organ culture‐induced vascular damage, the release and action of nitric oxide (NO) play a pivotal role in the control of vascular function. Recently, increasing attention is paying to the use of the microalgae Spirulina for nutritional interventions due to antioxidant and anti‐inflammatory properties. Therefore, the aim of this study was to analyze the effects of aqueous Spirulina extract on the release and function of NO in these two experimental models of vascular dysfunction. For this purpose, thoracic aorta from Sprague‐Dawley (SD), spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) and its normotensive Wistar‐Kyoto (WKY) rats (18–20 weeks old) were used. Organ culture‐induced vascular damage was obtained by incubating aortic segments from SD rats for 20 hours at 37° C in serum free culture medium, and the effect of aqueous Spirulina extract (0.1 % w/v; for 3 h) on the NO release and on the vasodilation induced by acetylcholine (Ach) were analyzed. In aortic segments from SHR and WKY rats, the effect of Spirulina extract on NO release and on the Ach‐induced response in endothelium‐intact and endothelium‐denuded arteries were investigated. The results showed that the induced vascular damage strongly increased the release of NO, while the incubation with the Spirulina extract decreased that release up to similar levels found in intact arteries. The Ach‐induced response was not modified after vascular damage or Spirulina incubation. In aortic segments from SHR and WKY rats Spirulina extracts increased the release of NO more in arteries from SHR than that of WKY rats. In endothelium‐intact arteries, Spirulina extracts increased more the Ach‐induced response in WKY rats than in those of SHR. Conversely, in endothelium‐denuded arteries, Spirulina increased the Ach‐induced relaxation more in SHR than in those of WKY rats. These findings indicate the beneficial role of Spirulina extracts on the NO participation in the vasodilator responses of these two experimental models of vascular dysfunction, although endothelium‐independent mechanisms are also involved. M.T.A. and M.R. equally contributed to this work Support or Funding Information Supported by grants (to M. F.) from the Fondo de Investigaciones Sanitarias (PI1100416), Comunidad de Madrid (S2013/ABI‐2783, “INSPIRA1‐CM”) and Fondo Europeo de Desarrollo Regional.