Soybean proteins counteract heart remodeling in wistar rats fed a high sodium chloride diet

Abstract

BACKGROUND. Increased salt intake is associated with a number of cardiovascular events, including increased blood pressure (BP) and the development of left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH). However, there is much evidence that a high content of sodium chloride in the diet does not always lead to an increase in BP, but almost inevitably causes cardiac remodeling, in particular, LVH. Many aspects of myocardial remodeling induced by high sodium content in the food have not been studied enough. THE AIM of the study was to trace the echocardiographic changes in Wistar rats fed the high salt ration and the high salt ration supplemented with soy proteins.MATERIAL AND METHODS. Echocardiography and BP measurements were performed on male Wistar rats, divided into three groups. The first (control; n = 8) included rats that received standard laboratory feed (20.16 % animal protein and 0.34 % NaCl); the second (n = 10) – animals that received standard feed and 8 % NaCl (high salt ration). The third group (n = 10) consisted of rats who consumed a low-protein diet containing 10 % soy protein isolate (SUPRO 760) and 8 % NaCl. The follow-up period was 2 and 4 months.THE RESULTS of the study showed that: (1) the intake of a large amount of salt with a diet does not necessarily lead to the formation of arterial hypertension; (2) despite the absence of a distinct increase in BP, under these conditions signs of cardiac remodeling, in particular, LVH, appear rather quickly; (3) supplementing a high-salt diet with soy isolates counteracts the development of LVH.CONCLUSION. High salt intake with food can cause heart remodeling, regardless of blood pressure, while soy proteins can counteract this process.