Ingestion of broccoli sprouts does not improve endothelial function in humans with hypertension.
Ingestion of glucosinolates has previously been reported to improve endothelial function in spontaneously hypertensive rats, possibly because of an increase in NO availability in the endothelium due to an attenuation of oxidative stress; in our study we tried to see if this also would be the case in humans suffering from essential hypertension.


METHODS
40 hypertensive individuals without diabetes and with normal levels of cholesterol were examined. The participants were randomized either to ingest 10 g dried broccoli sprouts, a natural donor of glucosinolates with high in vitro antioxidative potential, for a 4 week period or to continue their ordinary diet and act as controls. Blood pressure, endothelial function measured by flow mediated dilation (FMD) and blood samples were obtained from the participants every other week and the content of glucosinolates was measured before and after the study. Measurements were blinded to treatment allocation.


RESULTS
In the interventional group overall FMD increased from 4% to 5.8% in the interventional group whereas in the control group FMD was stable (4% at baseline and 3.9% at the end of the study). The change in FMD in the interventional group was mainly due to a marked change in FMD in two participants while the other participants did not have marked changes in FMD. The observed differences were not statistically significant. Likewise significant changes in blood pressure or blood samples were not detected between or within groups. Diastolic blood pressure stayed essentially unchanged in both groups, while the systolic blood pressure showed a small non significant decrease (9 mm Hg) in the interventional group from a value of 153 mm Hg at start.


CONCLUSIONS
Daily ingestion of 10 g dried broccoli sprouts does not improve endothelial function in the presence of hypertension in humans.


BACKGROUND
Clinicaltrials.gov NCT00252018.
Christiansen
Buris
B
Department of Oncology, Copenhagen University Hospital, Herlev Hospital, Region Hovedstaden, Denmark. buris@dadlnet.dk
Bellostas Muguerza
Natalia
N
Petersen
Atheline Major
AM
Kveiborg
Britt
B
Madsen
Christian Rask
CR
Thomas
Hermann
H
Ihlemann
Nikolaj
N
Sørensen
Jens Christian
JC
Køber
Lars
L
Sørensen
Hilmer
H
Torp-Pedersen
Christian
C
Domínguez
Helena
H
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001775:Blood Circulation; D001794:Blood Pressure; D001937:Brassica / Q000737:chemistry; D004435:Eating; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D005961:Glucosinolates / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D014664:Vasodilation
D005961:Glucosinolates
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