Abstract:

This study aims to investigate the effects of seabuckthorn juice (SBJ) on blood pressure and cardiac function in rats fed with high-salt diet, as well as the underlying mechanism. SD rats were randomly allocated into three groups: control group, high-salt diet group, and SBJ group. At 0, 1, 3, 5, and 7 weeks of the experiment, tail artery blood pressure was monitored using the tail-cuff method. After eight weeks, the cardiac index was calculated, left ventricular catheterization was performed to measure hemodynamic changes in the left ventricle, and Sirius Red staining was utilized to observe myocardial fibrosis, expressions of the inflammation-related proteins NOD-like receptor pyrin domain-containing protein 3 (NLRP3), interleukin-1β (IL-1β) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) in the heart were examined using Western blot, ELISA was employed to detect myocardial injury markers including myoglobin (MYO), high-sensitivity cardiac troponin (hs-cTn), vascular endothelial injury markers like endothelin-1 (ET-1), nitric oxide (NO), vascular endothelial inflammation markers like soluble intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (sICAM-1), soluble vascular cell adhesion molecule (sVCAM-1), and inflammatory factors such as high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), and IL-1β in serum. The findings revealed that in the SBJ group, systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, and mean arterial pressure decreased, along with reduction in the cardiac index and left ventricular end-diastolic pressure. Nevertheless, the maximum rate of increase in left ventricular pressure and the absolute value of the maximum rate of decrease in left ventricular pressure increased. Furthermore, the Sirius Red staining area of heart diminished, and the protein expression levels of NLRP3, IL-1β, COX-2 decreased. Concurrently, the serum contents of MYO, hs-cTn, ET-1, sICAM-1, sVCAM-1, hs-CRP, TNF-α, and IL-1β exhibited a decline, while the NO content demonstrated an increase. In conclusion, SBJ mitigates vascular endothelial and myocardial injury by suppressing inflammatory responses, consequently reducing blood pressure and enhancing cardiac function.

Key words: seabuckthorn juice, high-salt diet, blood pressure, cardiac function, inflammatory response