Impact of Brazil Nut (Bertholletia excelsa, H.B.K.) Supplementation on Body Composition, Blood Pressure, and the Vascular Reactivity of Wistar Rats When Submitted to a Hypersodium Diet.

Introdution: Endothelium integrity is a key that maintains vascular homeostasis but it can suffer irreversible damage by blood pressure changes, reflecting an imbalance in the maintenance of vascular homeostasis.Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of Brazil nut (Bertholletia excelsa, H.B.K.) (BN) supplementation (10% in chow, wt/wt) on the vascular reactivity of Wistar rats during chronic exposure to a sodium overload (1% in water).Methods: First, male Wistar rats were allocated into two groups: Control Group (CG) and the Hypersodic Group (HG) for 4 weeks. Afterward, the CG was divided into the Brazil Nut Group (BNG) and the HG Group into the Hypersodic Brazil Nut Group (HBNG) for a further 8 weeks, totaling 4 groups. Blood pressure was measured during the protocol. At the end of the protocol, the vascular reactivity procedure was performed. Glucose, lipid profile, lipid peroxidation, and platelet aggregation were analyzed in the serum. Body composition was determined by the carcass technique.Results: The groups that were supplemented with the BN chow presented less body mass gain and body fat mass, together with lower serum glucose levels. The HG Group presented an increase in blood pressure and a higher platelet aggregation, while the BN supplementation was able to blunt this effect. The HG Group also showed an increase in contractile response that was phenylephrine-induced and a decrease in maximum relaxation that was acetylcholine-induced when compared to the other groups.Conclusion: The BN supplementation was able to prevent an impaired vascular function in the early stages of arterial hypertension, while also improving body composition, serum glucose, and platelet aggregation.

Inflamação e aterosclerose: novos biomarcadores e perspectivas terapêutica / Inflammation and atherosclerosis: new biomakers and outlooks for treatment

Atualmente a aterosclerose é considerada uma doença inflamatória crônica, provavelmente iniciada por disfunção endotelial associada a fatores inerentes à ativação do sistema imunológico. A disfunção endotelial pode ser causada por diversos fatores, como colesterol alto, presença de radicais livres, associada a fatores externos, hipertensão, diabetes mellitus, alterações genéticas, dentre outros. No local onde o endotélio se torna disfuncional ocorre uma resposta inflamatória, que estimula a migração e a proliferação de células musculares lisas, que se agregam à área de inflamação, formando uma lesão mais complexa. Além disso, ocorre o recrutamento de leucócitos e adesão de plaquetas ao endotélio na região da placa de ateroma. Apesar da indubitável utilidade do perfil lipídico na avaliação do risco aterosclerótico, esse dado fornece um panorama incompleto do paciente, uma vez que vários eventos cardiovasculares ocorrem em indivíduos com concentrações plasmáticas de colesterol e LDL consideradas adequadas. Considerando o papel de destaque dado ao processo inflamatório no desenvolvimento da aterosclerose, se faz necessária a observação de novos biomarcadores para uma melhor previsão de risco cardiovascular. Este trabalho resume aspectos importantes relacionados às metaloproteinases (MMP), proteína C-reativa (PCR), moléculas de adesão, TNF-α, interleucinas (IL) e adiponectina. O conhecimento destes possíveis marcadores constitui-se de vital importância para o direcionamento eficiente de novas abordagens terapêuticas, representando um novo horizonte no tratamento da aterosclerose.

Atherosclerosis is currently considered as a chronic inflammatory disease, probably caused by an endothelial dysfunction associated with factors inherent to the activation of the immune system. Endothelial dysfunction may be caused by several factors such as high cholesterol, free radicals, associated with external factors, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, genetic disorders and others. An inflammatory response occurs at the location where the endothelium becomes dysfunctional, stimulating the migration and proliferation of smooth muscle cells, clumping in the inflammation area and forming a more complex lesion, together with the recruitment of leukocytes and platelet adhesion to the endothelium in the atheromatous plaque region. Despite the undoubted utility of the lipid profile in atherosclerotic risk assessment, these data provide an incomplete overview of the patient, as many cardiovascular events occur in patients with cholesterol and LDL plasma concentrations rated as adequate. Considering the prominent role assigned to the inflammatory process for the development of atherosclerosis, it is necessary to observe new biomarkers in order to predict cardiovascular risk more effectively. This paper summarizes important aspects related to matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), C-reactive protein (CRP), adhesion molecules, TNF-α, interleukins (ILs) and adiponectin. Knowledge of these potential markers is of vital importance for efficiently targeting new therapeutic approaches, opening up a new horizon for atherosclerosis treatment.