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Endothelium/nitric oxide mechanism mediates vasorelaxation and counteracts vasoconstriction induced by low concentration of flavanols

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Abstract

Purpose

At relatively low concentrations, flavanols induce inconsistent effects on isolated arterial tone, sometimes explained as being due to a structure–activity relationship. The aim of our study was to investigate the effects of two flavanols at different doses on arterial functional state.

Methods

The effects of two catechins, (−)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) and (−)-epicatechin (EP), on rat-isolated aorta tone were investigated on resting tension and on precontracted preparations, both in the presence and in the absence of endothelium.

Results

At resting tension, endothelium-intact preparations, EGCG and EP (0.01–10 μM), induced a slight concentration-dependent, non-significant contraction. On endothelium-denuded preparations, both EGCG and EP induced a concentration-dependent contraction (significance at 0.1 and 1 μM concentrations of the two compounds, respectively). In phenylephrine (PE) (1 μM) precontracted, endothelium-intact preparations, EGCG and EP (0.01–10 μM), induced a concentration-dependent vasorelaxation, reaching significance at 1 μM concentration of both agonists. On endothelium-denuded preparations, EGCG and EP did not significantly affect PE (0.3 μM)-induced tone. In endothelium-intact precontracted preparations, Nω nitro-l-arginine (L-NNA), a nitric oxide synthase (NOS) activity inhibitor, abolished the vasorelaxant effect of EGCG and EP (0.01–10 μM). At high concentrations, EGCG and EP (100 μM) elicited a marked relaxation. This was significantly larger in the presence than in the absence of endothelium or in the presence of L-NNA.

Conclusions

Our findings highlight the important role played by an endothelium/NO-mechanism in the regulation of basal tone and in both mediating vasorelaxation and counteracting vasoconstriction induced by low concentrations of flavanols in rat thoracic aorta.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Internal Medicine and Public Health, University of L’Aquila, Viale S. Salvatore, Delta 6 Medicina, 67100, Coppito, AQ, Italy

    Annalisa Aggio, Davide Grassi, Eugenia Onori, Antonio D’Alessandro, Francesco Masedu, Marco Valenti & Claudio Ferri

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  1. Annalisa Aggio
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  2. Davide Grassi
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  3. Eugenia Onori
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  4. Antonio D’Alessandro
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  5. Francesco Masedu
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  6. Marco Valenti
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  7. Claudio Ferri
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Correspondence to Davide Grassi.

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Aggio, A., Grassi, D., Onori, E. et al. Endothelium/nitric oxide mechanism mediates vasorelaxation and counteracts vasoconstriction induced by low concentration of flavanols. Eur J Nutr 52, 263–272 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00394-012-0320-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00394-012-0320-x

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