title: Choline ameliorates cardiovascular damage by improving vagal activity and inhibiting the inflammatory response in spontaneously hypertensive rats.
abstract: Autonomic dysfunction and abnormal immunity lead to systemic inflammatory responses, which result in cardiovascular damage in hypertension. The aim of this report was to investigate the effects of choline on cardiovascular damage in hypertension. Eight-week-old male spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRs) and Wistar-Kyoto rats were intraperitoneally injected with choline or vehicle (8 mg/kg/day). After 8 weeks, choline restored the cardiac function of the SHRs, as evidenced by decreased heart rate, systolic blood pressure, left ventricle systolic pressure, and ±dp/dtmaxand increased ejection fraction and fractional shortening. Choline also ameliorated the cardiac hypertrophy of the SHRs, as indicated by reduced left ventricle internal dimensions and decreased cardiomyocyte cross-sectional area. Moreover, choline improved mesenteric arterial function and preserved endothelial ultrastructure in the SHRs. Notably, the protective effect of choline may be due to its anti-inflammatory effect. Choline downregulated expression of interleukin (IL)-6 and tumour necrosis factor-α and upregulated IL-10 in the mesenteric arteries of SHRs, possibly because of the inhibition of Toll-like receptor 4. Furthermore, choline restored baroreflex sensitivity and serum acetylcholine level in SHRs, thus indicating that choline improved vagal activity. This study suggests that choline elicits cardiovascular protective effects and may be useful as a potential adjunct therapeutic approach for hypertension.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xi'an Jiaotong University Health Science Center, Xi'an, Shaanxi, 710061, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Longzhu
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xi'an Jiaotong University Health Science Center, Xi'an, Shaanxi, 710061, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Yi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xi'an Jiaotong University Health Science Center, Xi'an, Shaanxi, 710061, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Xueyuan
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Bi
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xi'an Jiaotong University Health Science Center, Xi'an, Shaanxi, 710061, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Man
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xi'an Jiaotong University Health Science Center, Xi'an, Shaanxi, 710061, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Xiaojiang
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xi'an Jiaotong University Health Science Center, Xi'an, Shaanxi, 710061, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Runqing
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Xue
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xi'an Jiaotong University Health Science Center, Xi'an, Shaanxi, 710061, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Xi
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: He
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xi'an Jiaotong University Health Science Center, Xi'an, Shaanxi, 710061, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Weijin
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Zang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017704:Baroreflex / Q000187:drug effects; D006332:Cardiomegaly; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D002794:Choline / Q000097:blood / Q000494:pharmacology*; D016207:Cytokines / Q000378:metabolism; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004452:Echocardiography; D042783:Endothelial Cells / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D006334:Heart Function Tests; D006973:Hypertension / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D018836:Inflammation Mediators / Q000378:metabolism; D007668:Kidney / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D051381:Rats; D011918:Rats, Inbred SHR; D051197:Toll-Like Receptor 4 / Q000378:metabolism; D014630:Vagus Nerve / Q000187:drug effects*
chemical_list: D016207:Cytokines; D018836:Inflammation Mediators; D051197:Toll-Like Receptor 4; D002794:Choline