Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2004 Apr 21 [Epub ahead of print] Related Articles,
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Dietary approach to attenuate oxidative stress, hypertension, and inflammation
in the cardiovascular system.

Wu L, Ashraf MH, Facci M, Wang R, Paterson PG, Ferrie A, Juurlink BH.

Departments of (*)Anatomy and Cell Biology and ()Physiology, College of
Medicine, and ()College of Pharmacy and Nutrition, University of Saskatchewan,
Saskatoon, SK, Canada S7N 5E5.

Imbalance between production and scavenging of superoxide anion results in
hypertension by the inactivation of nitric oxide, and the increased oxidative
stress from the resultant peroxynitrite that is produced promotes inflammatory
processes such as atherosclerosis. Induction of phase 2 proteins promotes
oxidant scavenging. We hypothesized that intake of dietary phase 2 protein
inducers would ameliorate both hypertension and atherosclerotic changes in the
spontaneously hypertensive stroke-prone rat. For 5 days/week for 14 weeks, we
fed rats 200 mg/day of dried broccoli sprouts that contained glucoraphanin,
which is metabolized into the phase 2 protein-inducer sulforaphane (Group A),
sprouts in which most of the glucoraphanin was destroyed (Group B), or no
sprouts (Group C). After 14 weeks of treatment, no significant differences were
seen between rats in Groups B and C. Rats in Group A had significantly
decreased oxidative stress in cardiovascular and kidney tissues, as shown by
increased glutathione (GSH) content and decreased oxidized GSH, decreased
protein nitrosylation, as well as increased GSH reductase and GSH peroxidase
activities. Decreased oxidative stress correlated with better
endothelial-dependent relaxation of the aorta and significantly lower (20 mm
Hg) blood pressure. Tissues from Groups B and C had considerable numbers of
infiltrating activated macrophages, indicative of inflammation, whereas animals
in Group A had few detectable infiltrating macrophages. There is interest in
dietary phase 2 protein inducers as means of reducing cancer incidence. We
conclude that a diet containing phase 2 protein inducers also reduces the risk
of developing cardiovascular problems of hypertension and atherosclerosis.

PMID: 15103025 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

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