Muscadine Grape Extract Improves Arterial Stiffness in Hypertensive (mRen2)27 Female Rats

Abstract

Increased arterial stiffness is an important risk factor for cardiovascular disease and target‐organ damage and is more prevalent in female subjects, as well as in the elderly. The rate of development of arterial stiffness is associated with wide pulse pressure and can be accelerated by hypertension. Grape polyphenols are known for antioxidant effects that could be protective against cardiovascular disease, especially during aging. We investigated the effects of chronic muscadine grape extract (MGE; Piedmont Research & Development Corp.) intake on aortic arch pulse wave velocity (PWV) in transgenic hypertensive (mRen2)27 female rats. The extract was administered in the drinking water (0.2 mg of total phenolics/mL) to 14‐week‐old (mRen2)27 female rats (body weight at baseline (g), MGE: 274 vs Control: 261, p > 0.05; systolic blood pressure at baseline (mm Hg), MGE: 174 ± 5 vs Control: 166 ± 4, p > 0.05). After 15 weeks of treatment, PWV was measured after acquiring the images using a preclinical ultrasound and photoacoustic system (Vevo LAZR 2100, Fujifilm, Visual Sonics). Our data show that rats treated with MGE have 16% lower PWV compared to Control (MGE: 2.40 ± 0.05 vs Control: 2.85 ± 0.09 mm/s; p < 0.01, n = 4 in each group). However, preliminary data indicate no significant treatment differences at this time point in cardiac function parameters (cardiac output, heart rate, stroke volume, ejection fraction, fractional shortening or left ventricular filling pressure). Since lower PWV is an index of less arterial stiffness, we conclude that chronic MGE treatment improves aortic stiffness in female hypertensive rats providing a potential beneficial effect on overall cardiovascular health.Support or Funding InformationChronic Disease Fund ResearchThis abstract is from the Experimental Biology 2018 Meeting. There is no full text article associated with this abstract published in The FASEB Journal.