Astaxanthin-enriched-diet reduces blood pressure and improves cardiovascular parameters in spontaneously hypertensive rats.

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of astaxanthin-enriched diet on blood pressure, cardiac hypertrophy, both vascular structure and function and superoxide ((*)O(2-)) production in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR). Twelve-week-old SHR were treated for 8 weeks with an astaxanthin-enriched diet (75 or 200mg/kg body weight per day). Systolic blood pressure was monitorized periodically during the study by the tail cuff method. At the end of the study animals were sacrificed and heart, kidneys and aorta were removed. Left ventricular weight/body weight ratio was used as left ventricular hypertrophy index (LVH). Vascular function and structure were studied in conductance (aortic rings) and resistance (renal vascular bed) arteries. Also (*)O(2-) production was evaluated by lucigenin-enhanced chemiluminescence. Systolic blood pressure was lower in astaxanthin-treated groups than the control group from the first week of treatment, and LVH was significantly reduced. Astaxanthin improved endothelial function on resistance arteries, but had no effect on aorta. These effects were accompanied by a decrease in oxidative stress and improvements in NO bioavailability. Taken together, these results show that diet supplemented with astaxanthin has beneficial effects on hypertension, by decreasing blood pressure values, improving cardiovascular remodeling and oxidative stress.