Beneficial Effects of Citrus Bergamia Polyphenolic Fraction on Saline Load-Induced Injury in Primary Cerebral Endothelial Cells from the Stroke-Prone Spontaneously Hypertensive Rat Model

Nutrients. 2023 Mar 9;15(6):1334. doi: 10.3390/nu15061334.

Abstract

High salt load is a known noxious stimulus for vascular cells and a risk factor for cardiovascular diseases in both animal models and humans. The stroke-prone spontaneously hypertensive rat (SHRSP) accelerates stroke predisposition upon high-salt dietary feeding. We previously demonstrated that high salt load causes severe injury in primary cerebral endothelial cells isolated from SHRSP. This cellular model offers a unique opportunity to test the impact of substances toward the mechanisms underlying high-salt-induced vascular damage. We tested the effects of a bergamot polyphenolic fraction (BPF) on high-salt-induced injury in SHRSP cerebral endothelial cells. Cells were exposed to 20 mM NaCl for 72 h either in the absence or the presence of BPF. As a result, we confirmed that high salt load increased cellular ROS level, reduced viability, impaired angiogenesis, and caused mitochondrial dysfunction with a significant increase in mitochondrial oxidative stress. The addition of BPF reduced oxidative stress, rescued cell viability and angiogenesis, and recovered mitochondrial function with a significant decrease in mitochondrial oxidative stress. In conclusion, BPF counteracts the key molecular mechanisms underlying high-salt-induced endothelial cell damage. This natural antioxidant substance may represent a valuable adjuvant to treat vascular disorders.

Keywords: SHRSP; bergamot; endothelial cell; mitochondrial dysfunction; oxidative stress; polyphenols; salt loading; stroke.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Blood Pressure
  • Citrus*
  • Endothelial Cells
  • Humans
  • Hypertension*
  • Rats
  • Rats, Inbred SHR
  • Saline Solution
  • Sodium Chloride / pharmacology
  • Sodium Chloride, Dietary / adverse effects
  • Stroke* / etiology

Substances

  • Sodium Chloride
  • Sodium Chloride, Dietary
  • Saline Solution

Grants and funding

The study was supported by a grant from the Italian Ministry of Health (Ricerca Corrente).