Differential vascular reactivity responses acutely following ingestion of a nitrate rich red spinach extract.

Abstract

Inorganic nitrate ingestion has been posited to affect arterial blood pressure and vascular function. We sought to determine the acute effect of a red spinach extract (RSE) high in inorganic nitrate on vascular reactivity 1-h after ingestion in peripheral conduit and resistance arteries. Fifteen (n=15; males 8, females 7) apparently healthy subjects (aged 23.1±3.3years; BMI 27.2±3.7kg/m2) participated in this crossover design, double-blinded study. Subjects reported to the lab ≥2-h post-prandial and consumed RSE (1000mg dose; ~90mg nitrate) or placebo (PBO). Venipuncture was performed on three occasions: baseline, 30-min post-ingestion and between 65 to 75-min post-ingestion. Baseline vascular measurements [i.e., calf venous occlusion plethysmography, brachial artery flow-mediated dilation (FMD)], 30-min of continuous blood pressure (BP) and heart rate (HR) analysis, and follow-up vascular measurements beginning at 40-min post-ingestion were also performed. Humoral nitrate following RSE ingestion was significantly higher at 30- (+54%; P=0.039) and 65 to 75-min post-ingestion compared to baseline (+255%, P<0.001) and PBO at the same time points (P<0.05). No significant changes in BP or HR occurred in either condition. Peak reactive hyperemia (RH) calf blood flow increased significantly (+13.7%; P=0.016) following RSE ingestion, whereas it decreased (-14.0%; P=0.008) following PBO ingestion. No significant differential FMD responses were detected (P>0.05), though RH was decreased following the baseline measure in both conditions. RSE significantly increased plasma nitrate 30-min post-ingestion, but acute microvascular (i.e., resistance vasculature) reactivity increases were isolated to the lower limb and no appreciable change in brachial artery FMD was observed.