Abstract
Physical performance and systolic blood pressure (SBP) during aging in normotensive female Sprague-Dawley (SD) and hypertensive (mRen2)27 transgenic rats were assessed following long-term treatment with a Muscadine Grape Extract (MGE, Piedmont Research and Development Corp). MGE was administered at a dose of 0.2 mg/mL in the drinking water starting at 14 weeks (wks) of age with an endpoint at 70 wks of age (total time of treatment of 56 wks). At 20-, 40- and 70-wks of age, physical performance (exercise capacity in seconds and workload in grams - meters) was determined using a treadmill at a velocity of 17 cm/second with a 5% incline. SBP was determined by tail-cuff plethysmography in trained rats. There were no significant differences in physical performance between SD and (mRen2)27 female rats at any age despite the higher SBP in the (mRen2)27 rats at all ages. Long-term treatment with MGE had no significant effect on physical performance or SBP in SD rats at any age. In contrast, MGE treatment markedly increased exercise capacity (40 wks: 1615 ± 166 vs 4943 ± 442 seconds, p<0.01, n = 4-9; 70 wks: 2520 ± 374 vs 4117 ± 245 seconds, p<0.01, n = 4-8) and workload (40 wks: 4579 ± 490 vs 14730 ± 1353 grams - meters, p<0.01, n = 4-9; 70 wks: 8338 ± 1340 vs 13659 ± 933 grams - meters, p<0.01, n = 4-8) at the later ages in female (mRen2)27 rats, while there was no effect on SBP (20 wks: 167 ± 4 vs 173 ± 4 mm Hg, n = 4-6; 40 wks: 177 ± 8 vs 170 ± 7 mm Hg, n = 6-7; 70 wks:154 ± 6 vs 172 ± 6 mm Hg, n = 5) at any age. These data suggest that MGE treatment is effective in improving physical performance only in hypertensive female rats and may be independent of changes in blood pressure. The benefit of MGE in the older hypertensive female may reflect reductions in vascular stiffness and oxidative stress. Support: Chronic Disease Research Fund, Hypertension & Vascular Research Center
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
