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Protective effect of Euterpe oleracea Mart (açaí) extract on programmed changes in the adult rat offspring caused by
Graziele Freitas de Bem1, Cristiane Aguiar da Costa, Paola Raquel Braz de Oliveira
1Department of Pharmacology, Institute of Biology, Rio de Janeiro State University, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Insights
Açaí seed extract (ASE) prevents cardiovascular and kidney damage in offspring exposed to maternal low-protein diets. This dietary intervention offers protection against hypertension and oxidative stress, promoting healthier renal function.
Area of Science:
- Cardiovascular Research
- Renal Physiology
- Nutritional Science
Background:
- Maternal low-protein (LP) diets during pregnancy can lead to cardiovascular and renal issues in offspring.
- Açaí seed extract (ASE) is investigated for its potential health benefits.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the protective effects of Açaí seed extract (ASE) against cardiovascular and renal alterations in adult offspring of rats fed a low-protein (LP) diet during gestation.
Main Methods:
- Rats were assigned to four groups: control, ASE, LP diet, and LP diet with ASE supplementation.
- Offspring were fed a control diet post-weaning and assessed at 4 months for blood pressure, vascular function, and renal parameters.
- Evaluations included oxidative stress markers, antioxidant activity, and kidney structural analysis.
Main Results:
- ASE administration prevented hypertension and impaired vasodilation in offspring from LP-fed mothers.
- ASE normalized elevated urea and creatinine levels and improved renal function markers.
- ASE treatment reduced oxidative stress by increasing antioxidant enzyme activity and decreasing lipid peroxidation markers in the kidneys.
Conclusions:
- Supplementation with Açaí seed extract (ASE) during pregnancy protects against hypertension, oxidative stress, and renal damage in offspring.
- The protective mechanisms likely involve the vasodilator and antioxidant properties of ASE.
- ASE represents a potential therapeutic strategy for mitigating developmental programming of chronic diseases.
Objectives:
This study examined the effect of açaí (Euterpe oleracea Mart.) seed extract (ASE) on cardiovascular and renal alterations in adult offspring, whose mothers were fed a low-protein (LP) diet during pregnancy.
Methods:
Four groups of rats were fed: control diet (20% protein); ASE (200 mg/kg per day); and LP (6% protein); LP + ASE (6% protein + ASE) during pregnancy. After weaning, all male offspring were fed a control diet and sacrificed at 4 months old. We evaluated the blood pressure, vascular function, serum and urinary parameters, plasma and kidney oxidative damage, and antioxidant activity and renal structural changes.
Key Findings:
Hypertension and the reduced acetylcholine-induced vasodilation in the LP group were prevented by ASE. Serum levels of urea, creatinine and fractional excretion of sodium were increased in LP and reduced in LP + ASE. ASE improved nitrite levels and the superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase activity in LP, with a corresponding decrease of malondialdehyde and protein carbonyl levels. Kidney volume and glomeruli number were reduced and glomerular volume was increased in LP. These renal alterations were prevented by ASE.
Conclusions:
Treatment of protein-restricted dams with ASE provides protection from later-life hypertension, oxidative stress, renal functional and structural changes, probably through a vasodilator and antioxidant activity.
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