title: Sesame oil therapeutically ameliorates cardiac hypertrophy by regulating hypokalemia in hypertensive rats.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Hypokalemia and hypertension are common manifestations of preclinical cardiovascular conditions that have a predictive value for cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Cardiac hypertrophy, an important risk factor in heart failure, is attributed to long-term hypokalemia and hypertension. Sesame oil is rich in nutrients and possesses potent antihypertensive activities.
  
  
  METHODS
  We investigated the therapeutic potential of sesame oil using a hypertensive model created by subcutaneously injecting deoxycorticosterone acetate (DOCA; 15 mg/mL/kg in mineral oil; twice weekly for 5 weeks) and supplementing with 1% sodium chloride drinking water (DOCA/salt) to uninephrectomized rats. Sesame oil was administered by oral gavage (0.5 or 1 mL/kg/d for 7 days) after 4 weeks of DOCA/salt treatment. Systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP), electrocardiography (ECG), and K(+) and Mg(2+) levels were assessed 24 hours after the last dose of sesame oil. Heart tissue was collected for histologic analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Sesame oil effectively reduced the SBP/DBP and ECG abnormalities and increased the serum levels of K(+) and Mg(2+) while limiting the urinary excretion of K(+) in DOCA/salt-induced hypertensive rats. In addition, sesame oil decreased the heart mass, the thickness of the left ventricle, and the diameter of cardiomyocytes, indicating the regression of left ventricular hypertrophy in the hypertensive rats.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We demonstrate that sesame oil therapeutically ameliorates cardiac hypertrophy by regulating hypokalemia in hypertensive rats.
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental and Occupational Health.
authors.forename: Chuan-Teng
authors.initials: CT
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Research Center for Environment and Occupational Health and Preventive Medicine.
authors.forename: Srinivasan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Periasamy
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Research Center for Environment and Occupational Health and Preventive Medicine.
authors.forename: Chih-Ching
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.affiliation: Department of Cell Biology and Anatomy, National Cheng Kung University, College of Medicine, Tainan, Taiwan myliu@mail.ncku.edu.tw femo@mail.ncku.edu.tw.
authors.forename: Fan-E
authors.initials: FE
authors.lastname: Mo
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Research Center for Environment and Occupational Health and Preventive Medicine myliu@mail.ncku.edu.tw femo@mail.ncku.edu.tw.
authors.forename: Ming-Yie
authors.initials: MY
authors.lastname: Liu
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001794:Blood Pressure; D006332:Cardiomegaly / Q000188:drug therapy*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004562:Electrocardiography; D006973:Hypertension / Q000188:drug therapy*; D007008:Hypokalemia / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008274:Magnesium / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D011188:Potassium / Q000097:blood; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D012715:Sesame Oil / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D012965:Sodium Chloride / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D012965:Sodium Chloride; D012715:Sesame Oil; D008274:Magnesium; D011188:Potassium
keywords: cardiac hypertrophy; deoxycorticosterone acetate; hypertension; hypokalemia; sesame oil