Spice up the hypertension diet - curcumin and piperine prevent remodeling of aorta in experimental L-NAME induced hypertension

Livia Hlavačková,Andrea Černá,Olga Uličná,Pavol Janega,Andrea Janegová,Pavel Babál

doi:10.1186/1743-7075-8-72

Abstract

BackgroundIncrease of blood pressure is accompanied by functional and morphological changes in the vascular wall. The presented study explored the effects of curcuma and black pepper compounds on increased blood pressure and remodeling of aorta in the rat model of experimental NO-deficient hypertension.MethodsWistar rats were administered for 6 weeks clear water or L-NAME (40 mg/kg/day) dissolved in water, piperine (20 mg/kg/day), curcumin (100 mg/kg/day) or their combination in corn oil by oral gavage. The systolic blood pressure was measured weekly. Histological slices of thoracic aorta were stained with hematoxylin and eosin, Mallory's phosphotungstic acid hematoxylin (PTAH), orcein, picrosirius red and van Gieson staining and with antibodies against smooth muscle cells actin. Microscopic pictures were digitally processed and morphometrically evaluated.ResultsThe increase of blood pressure caused by L-NAME was partially prevented by piperine and curcumin, but the effect of their combination was less significant. Animals with hypertension had increased wall thickness and cross-sectional area of the aorta, accompanied by relative increase of PTAH positive myofibrils and decrease of elastin, collagen and actin content. Piperine was able to decrease the content of myofibrils and slightly increase actin, while curcumin also prevented elastin decrease. The combination of spices had similar effects on aortic morphology as curcumin itself.ConclusionsAdministration of piperine or curcumin, less their combination, is able to partially prevent the increase of blood pressure caused by chronic L-NAME administration. The spices modify the remodeling of the wall of the aorta induced by hypertension. Our results show that independent administration of curcumin is more effective in preventing negative changes in blood vessel morphology accompanying hypertensive disease.

Highlights

Increase of blood pressure is accompanied by functional and morphological changes in the vascular wall
Administration of curcumin, piperine and their combination caused no significant changes in blood pressure
Treatment with piperine caused a significant decrease in blood pressure in comparison to the L-NAME group following the third week of administration, the blood pressure remained above the control until the end of the experiment

Summary

Introduction

Increase of blood pressure is accompanied by functional and morphological changes in the vascular wall. The adaptation process to the increased blood pressure may include several morphological changes in the blood vessel wall. Under normal conditions mature SMC exhibit low synthetic activity [9] but unlike skeletal and heart muscle, the vascular SMCs are able to change their phenotype and start producing large amounts of ECM components and increase their proliferation and migration [10]. Collagen type I (Col I) is mechanically firm and hypertension induced by long term administration of L-NAME leads to an increase of its synthesis in blood vessels [13]. Collagen type III (Col III) forms a net of fine fibers which enables to maintain blood vessel elasticity and their damage results in increased vessel wall rigidity [14,15]. When mechanically damaged by hypertension it can be newly synthesized in higher amounts [18]

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