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The prothrombotic state associated with obesity-induced hypertension is reduced by cocoa and its main flavanols
G M Rabadán-Chávez1, E Reyes-Maldonado1, L Quevedo-Corona1
1Escuela Nacional de Ciencias Biológicas, Instituto Politécnico Nacional-Wilfrido Massiew s/n esq, Manuel Stampa, Unidad Profesional Adolfo López Mateos, C.P. 07738 Ciudad de México, Mexico. Jaramillo_flores@hotmail.com gris.rab@gmail.com quevedocorona@hotmail.com elbareyesm@gmail.com npaniag@hotmail.com.
Background:
Little is known about the effects of cocoa and its main flavanols on the prothrombotic state associated with the development of hypertension in diet-induced obesity models.
Purpose:
To evaluate the effects of cocoa powder, cocoa extract and their main flavanols on plasma biomarkers related to impaired coagulation and fibrinolysis and its association with hypertension and obesity-related metabolic disorders in rats fed a hypercaloric diet.
Methods:
Male Wistar rats were randomly assigned to 7 treatment groups (n = 7): normal diet (ND); hypercaloric diet control group (HCD); HCD + cocoa powder (CO); HCD + cocoa extract (CO-EX); HCD + (-)-epicatechin (EPI); HCD + (+)-catechin (CAT); and HCD + procyanidin B2 (PB2). Blood pressure was measured using the tail-cuff method (week 7). At the end of the experimental period (week 8), rats were sacrificed and blood samples were collected immediately for coagulation and biochemical analyses.
Results:
Oral administration of CO, CO-EX and their main flavanols significantly decreased plasma biomarkers related to impaired coagulation and fibrinolysis (vWF, FVIII, fibrinogen and PAI-1) in rats fed a hypercaloric diet. These effects were associated with decreased systolic and diastolic blood pressure, aortic oxidative stress (MDA levels) and improvement of dyslipidemia, insulin resistance and circulating markers of inflammation (TNF-α, IL-6 and CRP) compared to the HCD group.
Conclusion:
Our results showed that cocoa and its main flavanols may improve endothelial dysfunction and exert their antihypertensive effects by decreasing the prothrombotic state in rats fed a hypercaloric diet. Moreover, improvement of obesity-related metabolic disorders may also contribute to their BP-lowering effect.
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