Chios mastic gum decreases renin levels and ameliorates vascular remodeling in renovascular hypertensive rats.

Abstract

Chios mastic gum (CMG) exerts robust anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties and it affects pathways that are implicated in the pathophysiology of endothelial and vascular inflammation. Aim of this study was to test the hypothesis that CMG administration lowers blood pressure (BP) and improves hypertension-induced target organ damage. 2-kidney, 1-clip (2K1C) hypertensive rats were treated with CMG (40 mg/kg body weight/day) for 2-weeks after the establishment of hypertension. Acute CMG administration lowered systolic, diastolic and mean arterial BP, while these hemodynamic effects were sustained throughout the 2-week administration period. CMG group also exhibited alleviated target organ damage as proposed by amelioration of biomechanical properties of the aorta -including cross-sectional area (CSA), aortic wall stiffness and thickness-, reversal of myocardial small vessel hypertrophy and maintenance of serum albumin levels. The anti-hypertensive effects of CMG are likely to be mediated by the decrease in renin serum levels. Regression analysis indicated that the effect of CMG on organ damage was BP-lowering dependent and was not associated with direct effects of renin or with its anti-inflammatory properties. We suggest a BP lowering effect of CMG via down-regulation of renin excretion associated with attenuation of target organ damage and inflammatory status. These observations provide profound evidence for the beneficial role of CMG in hypertension, which could possibly translate to further clinical research.