Malate reduced blood pressure and exerted differential effects on renal hemodynamics; role of the nitric oxide system and renal epithelial sodium channels (ENaC).

Malate regulates blood pressure via nitric oxide production in salt-sensitive rats, a genetic model of hypertension. This study investigated the possible contributions of malate to blood pressure regulation and renal haemodynamics in normotensive rats. Malate (0.1, 0.3 and 1 µg/kg, iv) was injected into rats or L-nitro-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME)-treated rats and mean arterial blood pressure (MABP), cortical blood flow (CBF), and medullary blood flow (MBF), was measured. The clearance study involved infusion of malate at 0.1 µg/kg/h into rats, and MABP, CBF, MBF, glomerular filtration rate (GFR), urine volume (UV) and sodium output (UNaV) were determined. Mechanistic studies to evaluate the role of renal sodium channels involved the treatment with malate (600 mg/kg, po), amiloride (2.5 mg/kg, po) or hydrochlorothiazide (HCTZ) (10 mg/kg, po), and UV and UNaV were determined. Malate elicited significant peak reductions in MABP (124 ± 6.5 vs 105 ± 3.1 mmHg) at 0.1 µg/kg), CBF (231 ± 18.5 vs 205 ± 10.9 PU). L-NAME did not reverse the effect of malate on MABP but tended to blunt the effect on CBF (40%) and MBF (87%) at 0.3 µg/kg. Infusion of malate reduced MABP, CBF, and MBF in a time-dependent manner (p<0.05). Malate exerted a three-fold decrease in GFR in a time-related fashion (p<0.05) as well as increased UV. UNaV increased by 86% in malate-treated-amiloride rats (p<0.05). These data indicate that malate modulates blood pressure and exerts vascular and tubular effects on renal function that may involve epithelial sodium channels (ENaC).

A Comprehensive Review on the Effects of Vegetarian Diets on Coronary Heart Disease.

Coronary heart disease (CHD) is one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Dietary modifications in the form of a vegetarian diet can perhaps be the key to the prevention and management of cardiovascular diseases. The aims of this review are to determine the association between a vegetarian diet and CHD, to compare the risk of CHD in different types of vegetarian diets, and to assess variability in the biochemical predictors of CHD in the various vegetarian diets. Our study inferred that adherence to a plant-based diet was inversely related to the incidence of heart failure risk. Our research further supports the idea that a vegetarian diet is advantageous for the secondary prevention of CHD since it alters lipid profiles, lowers body mass index (BMI), and increases plasma antioxidant micronutrient concentrations. Additionally, eating a plant-based diet starting in adolescence is linked to a decreased risk of cerebrovascular disease (CVD) by middle age. An increase in sensitization and education efforts is imperative to ensure that people are appropriately informed about this option to significantly improve their quality of life.