Activation of the bitter taste sensor TRPM5 prevents high salt-induced cardiovascular dysfunction

High salt intake is a known risk factor of cardiovascular diseases. Our recent study demonstrated that long-term high salt intake impairs transient receptor potential channel M5 (TRPM5)-mediated aversion to high salt concentrations, consequently promoting high salt intake and hypertension; however, it remains unknown whether TRPM5 activation ameliorates cardiovascular dysfunction. Herein we found that bitter melon extract (BME) and cucurbitacin E (CuE), a major compound in BME, lowered high salt-induced hypertension. Long-term BME intake significantly enhanced the aversion to high salt concentrations by upregulating TRPM5 expression and function, eventually decreasing excessive salt consumption in mice. Moreover, dietary BME ameliorated high salt-induced cardiovascular dysfunction and angiotensin II-induced hypertension in vivo. The mechanistic evidence demonstrated that dietary BME inhibited high salt-induced RhoA/Rho kinase pathway overactivation, leading to reduced phosphorylation levels of myosin light chain kinase and myosin phosphatase targeting subunit 1. Furthermore, CuE inhibited vasoconstriction by attenuating L-type Ca²⁺ channel-induced Ca²⁺ influx in vascular smooth muscle cells. To summarize, our findings indicate that dietary BME has a beneficial role in antagonizing excessive salt consumption and thus appears promising for the prevention of high salt-induced cardiovascular dysfunction.