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Ethanolic Extract of Salvia hispanica L. Regulates Blood Pressure by Modulating the Expression of Genes Involved in
Gerardo I Arredondo-Mendoza1, Zacarías Jiménez-Salas1, Francisco Javier Guzmán-de la Garza2
1Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León, Centro de Investigación en Nutrición y Salud Pública, Eduardo Aguirre Pequeño/Yuriria Str. Monterrey 64460, Nuevo León, Mexico.
Insights
This study shows that Salvia hispanica seed extract (EESH) effectively lowers blood pressure in hypertensive rats by regulating genes involved in the angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) pathway, offering a potential natural alternative to traditional treatments.
Area of Science:
- Biochemistry
- Pharmacology
- Genetics
Background:
- Hypertension (HT) is a major risk factor for cardiovascular diseases, often linked to obesity and dyslipidemias.
- Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEIs) manage HT but cause side effects due to their mechanism or drug structure.
- There is a need for novel antihypertensive agents with fewer adverse effects, prompting research into natural products like Salvia species.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the effects of ethanolic extract of Salvia hispanica L. seeds (EESH) on gene expression in pathways regulating hypertension.
- To evaluate the potential of EESH as a natural antihypertensive agent with reduced side effects compared to conventional ACEIs.
Main Methods:
- Administration of EESH to hypertensive rat models.
- Analysis of angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) activity.
- Quantification of gene expression for Ace, Agtr1a, Nos3, and Bdkrb2 using molecular techniques.
Main Results:
- EESH administration inhibited ACE activity in hypertensive rats.
- EESH significantly altered the expression of key genes: decreased Ace, increased Agtr1a and Nos3.
- The observed effects on gene expression were comparable to captopril, a standard antihypertensive drug, with no significant changes in Bdkrb2 expression.
Conclusions:
- Ethanolic extract of Salvia hispanica seeds (EESH) demonstrates antihypertensive effects in rats.
- EESH regulates blood pressure by modulating the transcriptional expression of genes within the ACE pathway.
- These findings suggest EESH as a promising natural compound for managing hypertension with a potentially favorable side-effect profile.
Abstract:
Hypertension (HT) is considered to be a potential risk factor for cardiovascular diseases and has been directly related to pathologies such as obesity and dyslipidemias. Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEIs) blocked the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone cascade diminishing the production of angiotensin II and the level of bradykinin, produced by the kallikrein-kinin system. Although ACEIs are effective therapeutics in regulating HT, they present several side-effects that can be due to their mechanism of action (as hypotension, cough, dizziness, light-headedness or hyperkalemia) to specific drug molecular structure (skin rash, neutropenia and tasting disorders) or due to associated pathologies in the patients (it has been considered a possible nephrotoxic effect when ACEIs are administered in combination with angiotensin receptor blockers, in patients that present comorbidities as diabetes, acute kidney injury or chronic kidney disease). Therefore, it is necessary the searching for new products with ACEI activity that do not produce side effects. Interestingly, species of the plant genus Salvia have been found to possess hypotensive effects. In the present study, we analyzed the effects of the ethanolic extract of Salvia hispanica L. seeds (EESH) on the expression of genes involved in pathways regulating HT. Administration of EESH to hypertensive rats inhibited the angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) activity along with a decrease in Ace and elevation of Agtr1a and Nos3 gene expression, as compared to that in healthy rats. Moreover, these results were similar to those observed with captopril, an antihypertensive drug used as a control. No significant change in the expression of Bdkrb2 gene was observed in the different groups of rats. To conclude, our results demonstrate that EESH regulates blood pressure (BP) in hypertensive rats through transcriptionally regulating the expression of genes that participate in different pathways involving ACE.
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