Abstract
Aim: We investigated the antioxidant protective power of egg white hydrolysate (EWH) against the vascular damage induced by mercury chloride (HgCl2) exposure in resistance arteries.Methods: Male Wistar rats received for 60 days: (I) intramuscular injections (i.m.) of saline and tap water by gavage – Untreated group; (II) 4.6 μg/kg of HgCl2 i.m. for the first dose and subsequent doses of 0.07 μg/kg/day and tap water by gavage – HgCl2 group; (III) saline i.m. and 1 g/kg/day of EWH by gavage – EWH group, or (IV) the combination of the HgCl2 i.m. and EWH by gavage – EWH + HgCl2 group. Blood pressure (BP) was indirectly measured and dose-response curves to acetylcholine (ACh), sodium nitroprusside (SNP), and noradrenaline (NE) were assessed in mesenteric resistance arteries (MRA), as in situ production of superoxide anion, nitric oxide (NO) release, vascular reactive oxygen species (ROS), lipid peroxidation, and antioxidant status.Results: Egg white hydrolysate prevented the elevation in BP and the vascular dysfunction after HgCl2 exposure; restored the NO-mediated endothelial modulation and inhibited the oxidative stress and inflammatory pathways induced by HgCl2.Conclusion: Egg white hydrolysate seems to be a useful functional food to prevent HgCl2-induced vascular toxic effects in MRA.
Highlights
The imbalance between the excessive formation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and limited antioxidant defenses is one of the most harmful mechanisms that induce deleterious cardiovascular effects (Liguori et al, 2018)
In mesenteric arteries (MRA) reactivity, the maximum response to KCl was similar between groups, demonstrating that neither Hg nor egg white hydrolysate (EWH) alter vascular integrity of MRA
MRA segments from Mercury chloride (HgCl2) exposure animals that received EWH showed similar effects of endothelium removal or N-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME) compared to the Untreated group (Figures 2A–E,a–e), suggesting that EWH prevented this reduced endothelial modulation by Nitric oxide (NO)
Summary
The imbalance between the excessive formation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and limited antioxidant defenses is one of the most harmful mechanisms that induce deleterious cardiovascular effects (Liguori et al, 2018). Bioactive peptides from egg white hydrolysate (EWH) have shown important antioxidant properties, preventing dysfunction in hypertensive and obese experimental models (Manso et al, 2008; Garces-Rimon et al, 2019). We propose to use EWH obtained after hydrolysis of hen egg white with pepsin for 8 h, which has previously demonstrated antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitory properties (Miguel et al, 2004; Moreno-Fernandez et al, 2018a,b). Metals, such as mercury (Hg), are dangerous pollutants in the ecosystem, found in different physical and chemical forms. Hg participates in the Fenton reaction, increasing ROS production and leading to the depletion of important antioxidant enzymes due to their affinity for the sulfhydryl radicals (Valko et al, 2006; Su et al, 2008)
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