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Dietary nitrate does not alter cardiac function, calcium handling proteins, or SERCA activity in the left ventricle

Aleah J Kirsh1, Emma S Juracic2, Heather L Petrick1

  • 1Department of Human Health and Nutritional Sciences, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada.

Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism = Physiologie Appliquee, Nutrition Et Metabolisme
|May 8, 2020
PubMed

Insights

Dietary nitrate supplementation reduced blood pressure in rats but did not affect heart calcium handling or SERCA activity. This suggests nitrate does not impact cardiac relaxation mechanisms in healthy hearts.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiovascular Physiology
  • Nutritional Biochemistry

Background:

  • Dietary nitrate intake is linked to potential cardiovascular benefits.
  • Increased cytosolic calcium in the heart necessitates enhanced calcium sequestration for proper relaxation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the effects of dietary nitrate on cardiac calcium handling and SERCA activity in healthy rats.
  • To determine if nitrate supplementation impacts left ventricular function and blood pressure.

Main Methods:

  • Rats were supplemented with dietary nitrate.
  • Measurements included blood pressure, left ventricular function, calcium-handling protein content, and SERCA enzymatic activity.
  • In vitro assays assessed SERCA activity directly.

Main Results:

  • Nitrate supplementation significantly reduced blood pressure.
  • No significant alterations were observed in calcium-handling protein content, SERCA enzymatic properties, or left ventricular function.
  • In vitro SERCA activity remained unchanged by nitrite exposure.

Conclusions:

  • Dietary nitrate effectively lowers blood pressure in healthy rats.
  • Nitrate supplementation does not enhance or impair left ventricular SERCA-related calcium-handling properties in this model.
  • These findings indicate that nitrate's cardiovascular benefits may not involve direct modulation of cardiac SERCA function.

Keywords:
SERCAcalciumcardiac functioncœurdietfonction cardiaqueheartnitraterégime alimentaire

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