Lentil polyphenol extract prevents angiotensin II-induced hypertension, vascular remodelling and perivascular fibrosis

Food Funct. 2012 Feb;3(2):127-33. doi: 10.1039/c1fo10142k. Epub 2011 Dec 12.

Abstract

The objective of the study was to investigate whether chronic administration of the Morton lentil polyphenol extract (MLPE), which possesses rich phenolic compounds and a high antioxidant activity, had any protective effects on angiotensin II-induced hypertension. After four weeks of subcutaneous infusion of angiotensin II (200 ng kg(-1) min(-1)) in male SD rats, the water intake and mean artery pressure was significantly increased by 39.8% and 48.3%, respectively, as compared with the control. The media/lumen ratio of the small arteries in the heart and kidneys were increased by 117% and 168% by angiotensin II infusion. The perivascular fibrosis was increased by 65% and 32% in the heart and kidneys, respectively. Levels of the reactive oxygen species in the aorta was enhanced by 115.8%. In another group of rats, which received four weeks of lentil extract administration (1% freeze-dried MLPE in the drinking water), followed by another four weeks of extract administration plus angiotensin II infusion, the angiotensin II-induced enhancement in water intake and mean artery pressures decreased by 12.7% and 8.2%, respectively, as compared with the rats that received angiotensin II infusion alone. The angiotensin II-induced rats showed increases in the media/lumen ratios which were attenuated by 43.6% and 47.2% in the small arteries of heart and kidneys, respectively. Angiotensin II-induced perivascular fibrosis was attenuated by 30% and 26% in the rats that received the extract. Angiotensin II-induced rats showed reactive oxygen species levels in the aorta was reduced by 48.9%. These findings demonstrated that lentil extract attenuated angiotensin II-induced hypertension and associated pathological changes, including remodelling and perivascular fibrosis in the small resistant arteries of heart and kidneys.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Administration, Oral
  • Angiotensin II / adverse effects*
  • Animals
  • Aorta / drug effects
  • Drinking
  • Fibrosis
  • Heart / drug effects
  • Hypertension / chemically induced
  • Hypertension / drug therapy*
  • Hypertension / pathology
  • Kidney / drug effects
  • Lens Plant / chemistry*
  • Male
  • Plant Extracts / pharmacology*
  • Polyphenols / pharmacology
  • Rats
  • Rats, Sprague-Dawley
  • Reactive Oxygen Species / metabolism
  • Vascular Diseases / chemically induced
  • Vascular Diseases / drug therapy*
  • Vascular Diseases / pathology

Substances

  • Plant Extracts
  • Polyphenols
  • Reactive Oxygen Species
  • Angiotensin II