Chronic administration of grape-seed polyphenols attenuates the development of hypertension and improves other cardiometabolic risk factors associated with the metabolic syndrome in cafeteria diet-fed rats.
The effects of grape-seed polyphenols against the development of hypertension and other cardiometabolic conditions associated with the metabolic syndrome (MetS) were studied in rats fed a high-fat, high-carbohydrate diet, known as the cafeteria (CAF) diet. Two groups of Wistar rats were fed standard (STD) or CAF diets for 12 weeks. The CAF diet-fed rats were administered different doses of a low-molecular-weight grape-seed polyphenol extract (LM-GSPE) (25, 100 and 200 mg/kg per d) or vehicle daily, and the STD diet-fed rats were administered LM-GSPE (100 mg/kg per d) or vehicle using ten animals per group. Body weight (BW), waist perimeter (WP) and systolic and diastolic blood pressures (BP) by the tail-cuff method were recorded weekly. The animals were housed in metabolic chambers every 2 weeks to estimate daily food and liquid intakes and to collect faeces and urine samples. The plasma lipid profile was analysed at time 0 and on the 4th, 7th, 10th and 12th weeks of the experiment. Moreover, plasma leptin was measured at the end of the experiment. Results demonstrated that LM-GSPE, when administered with the CAF diet, attenuated the increase in BP, BW, WP and improved lipid metabolism in these animals. However, although the 25- and 100-mg/kg per d doses were sufficient to produce beneficial effects on BP and lipid metabolism, a 200-mg/kg per d dose was necessary to have an effect on BW and WP. The present findings suggest that LM-GSPE is a good candidate for a BP-lowering agent that can also ameliorate other conditions associated with the MetS.
1Nutrigenomics Research Group,Department of Biochemistry and Biotechnology,Universitat Rovira i Virgili, 43007,Tarragona,Spain.
Zara
Z
Pons
1Nutrigenomics Research Group,Department of Biochemistry and Biotechnology,Universitat Rovira i Virgili, 43007,Tarragona,Spain.
Maria
M
Margalef
1Nutrigenomics Research Group,Department of Biochemistry and Biotechnology,Universitat Rovira i Virgili, 43007,Tarragona,Spain.
Francisca I
FI
Bravo
1Nutrigenomics Research Group,Department of Biochemistry and Biotechnology,Universitat Rovira i Virgili, 43007,Tarragona,Spain.
Anna
0000-0001-6529-1345
A
Arola-Arnal
1Nutrigenomics Research Group,Department of Biochemistry and Biotechnology,Universitat Rovira i Virgili, 43007,Tarragona,Spain.
Begoña
B
Muguerza
D000818:Animals; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000187:drug effects*; D001835:Body Weight / Q000187:drug effects; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000097:blood / Q000209:etiology; D004032:Diet; D056604:Grape Seed Extract / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006973:Hypertension / Q000097:blood* / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D020738:Leptin / Q000097:blood; D008055:Lipids / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D024821:Metabolic Syndrome / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy; D008517:Phytotherapy; D059808:Polyphenols / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D012307:Risk Factors; D013997:Time Factors; D055105:Waist Circumference / Q000187:drug effects
D056604:Grape Seed Extract; D020738:Leptin; D008055:Lipids; D059808:Polyphenols
 BP blood pressure;  BW body weight;  CAF cafeteria;  CAF200 CAF diet-fed rats administered daily with 200 mg/kg of LM-GSPE;  DBP diastolic BP;  HTN hypertension;  LM-GSPE low-molecular-weight grape-seed polyphenol extract;  MetS metabolic syndrome;  SBP systolic BP;  STD standard;  TC total cholesterol;  WP waist perimeter; Body weight; Cafeteria diet; Flavanols; Lipid profile; Waist perimeter