Cardiovascular Protective Effects of Polyphenols Contained in Passion Fruit Seeds Namely Piceatannol and Scirpusin B: A Review.

Cardiovascular disease is a global health problem. According to the World Health Organization, ischemic heart disease was the leading cause of death globally in 2019, followed by stroke. The French paradox, which has been known since the early 1990s, describes the lower incidence of ischemic heart disease in French people despite the consumption of a diet rich in saturated fatty acids.

Differences between young and aged rats in voiding frequency and detrusor muscle serotonergic contraction.

Introduction: The involvement of serotonin (5-HT) in increased lower urinary tract symptoms in aging is unclear. We sought to compare voiding function and 5-HT induced detrusor contraction between young and aged rats.

Methods: This study used young (2- to 3-month-old) and aged (26- to 30-month-old) male Fischer 344 rats.

Vascular- and hepato-protective effects of passion fruit seed extract containing piceatannol in chronic high-fat diet-fed rats.

The effects of chronic administration of piceatannol-enriched (9.5% w/w) passion fruit seed extract (PFSE) on the cardiovascular damage induced in a high-fat (HF) diet-fed model of Fischer 344 rats were evaluated. Rats were fed the control, HF, or HF diets containing PFSE (0.

The role of hypertriglyceridemia in the development of atherosclerosis and endothelial dysfunction.

A hereditary postprandial hypertriglyceridemic rabbit (PHT rabbit) is a new dyslipidemic model showing remarkably high plasma triglycerides with only limited elevation of plasma total cholesterol. In PHT rabbits, plasma triglyceride was markedly elevated postprandially compared with healthy Japanese white (JW) rabbits. In physiological experiments, the ring preparation of the thoracic aorta was suspended in an organ bath filled with modified Krebs-Henseleit solution, and the developed tension was recorded.

Identification of the strong vasorelaxing substance scirpusin B, a dimer of piceatannol, from passion fruit (Passiflora edulis) seeds.

Piceatannol is present in passion fruit (Passiflora edulis) seeds in high amounts. In this study, we isolated the second major polyphenolic compound of passion fruit seeds and identified it as scirpusin B, which is a dimer of piceatannol. We investigated the antioxidant activities and vasorelaxing effects of these polyphenols.

Role of angiotensin II and endothelin-1 receptors in aging-related functional changes in rat cardiovascular system.

Angiotensin II (AII) and endothelin-1 (ET-1) are regarded as key players in the age-related changes in cardiovascular function. They are known to be involved in the pathogenesis of cardiac fibrosis and coronary vascular atherosclerosis. AII- and ET-induced vasoconstriction was augmented in coronary arteries of Langendorff-perfused heart from aged rats.

Investigation of differentially expressed genes in the ventricular myocardium of senescent rats.

Aging alters a variety of physiological functions of the heart. The molecular basis of the age-related functional changes has not been fully understood. Differential gene expression provides the basis for many fundamental cellular processes associated with development and aging.

Progression of severe atherosclerosis and increased arterial pulse pressure in the newly developed heritable mixed hyperlipidaemic rabbits.

We have recently segregated a new line of rabbit, named TGH, with severely high levels of plasma triglyceride and cholesterol. The aim of the present study was to investigate the progression of atherosclerosis and haemodynamic parameters in TGH rabbits. 2.

Role of prostaglandins in urotensin II-induced vasodilatation in the coronary arteries of aged rats.

Endothelial function is modulated by aging. The objective of this study was to elucidate whether aging influences urotensin II-induced coronary vasodilatation, and whether aging influences the production of endothelial factors in response to urotensin II. We examined the effects of urotensin II on coronary flow in Langendorff-perfused rat hearts.

Vascular contractile effect of urotensin II in young and aged rats: influence of aging and contribution of endothelial nitric oxide.

To elucidate whether aging influences the vascular contractile effect of urotensin II in rat thoracic aorta, and to evaluate the contribution of endothelial vasodilating substances in mediating the effect of urotensin II, the effect of urotensin II was examined in the vessels of young (2-3-month-old) and aged rat. Isolated rat aortic rings incubated in Krebs-Henseleit solution gassed with 95% O2/5% CO2 were stimulated with urotensin II, and the developed tension was measured. Urotensin II increased the developed tension, which was decreased by aging.

Diminution of angiotensin II-induced contraction of the abdominal aorta isolated from Watanabe heritable hyperlipidemic rabbits.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the changes in vasocontractile responses in atherosclerosis, using abdominal aortic strips isolated from Watanabe heritable hyperlipidemic (WHHL) rabbits and Japanese White (control) rabbits. The aortic strips from WHHL rabbits showed a significantly lower contractile response to angiotensin II than that in strips from control rabbits. The contractile responses to phenylephrine and 5-hydroxytryptamine were not different in WHHL and control groups.

Chronic hypertriglyceridemia in young watanabe heritable hyperlipidemic rabbits impairs endothelial and medial smooth muscle function.

Several studies have suggested that hypertriglyceridemia is a common risk factor for coronary heart disease. Although increasing serum levels of triglyceride correlate with hypercoagulability, little is known about the contribution of hypertriglyceridemia to vascular function. We successfully segregated two lines of rabbits with genetically-determined severely high (TGH; 2764 +/- 413 mg/dl) and moderately high (TGL; 191 +/- 12 mg/dl) levels of triglyceride, but with comparable levels of total cholesterol, from Watanabe heritable hyperlipidemic rabbits.

Aging-related alterations in the contractile responses to acetylcholine, muscarinic cholinoceptors and cholinesterase activities in jejunum and colon of the male Fischer 344 rats.

In an attempt to examine whether the muscarinic receptor-activated intestinal function is altered by aging, we studied the changes in (1) contractile responses to acetylcholine (Ach), (2) muscarinic cholinoceptors and (3) cholinesterase (ChE) activities, in jejunum and colon of the young (2-3 months) and aged (24-28 months) Fischer 344 rats. In the physiological contraction experiments of jejunum and colon, Ach concentration-dependently increased the force of contraction, and the contractile responses to Ach were not affected by aging. In addition, the true- and pseudo-ChE activities were not significantly changed by aging.

Involvement of p44/42 mitogen-activated protein kinases in regulating angiotensin II- and endothelin-1-induced contraction of rat thoracic aorta.

In order to elucidate the signal transduction pathway of vascular smooth muscle contraction induced by the activation of receptors for angiotensin II and endothelin-1, we examined whether tyrosine kinases and mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinases are involved in the development of force of contraction in the rat aorta. Isolated aortic smooth muscles without endothelium were incubated in a modified Krebs-Henseleit solution and stimulated with angiotensin II (100 nM) or endothelin-1 (10 nM). A tyrosine kinase inhibitor genistein (10 microM) reduced the angiotensin II- and endothelin-1-induced aortic contraction, while 10 microM of daidzein (an inactive analogue of genistein) did not.