摘要
Metabolic syndrome(MtS)is strongly associated with vascular dysfunction,sympathetic overactivity,and nitric oxide(NO)resistance,ultimately increasing cardiovascular risk.This study evaluated the effects of citrus pectin supplementation on vascular reactivity,endotoxemia,and sympathetic/nitrergic balance in rats fed a high-fat diet(HFD).After 11 weeks,HFD rats exhibited greater body weight,visceral adiposity,and systolic hyperten-sion(P<0.05 vs.controls).Pectin supplementation(HFD-P)attenuated weight gain,normalised blood pressure,and reduced mesenteric hypercontractility to electrical field stimulation.Sympathetic neurotransmission was diminished in HFD-P rats,while nitrergic modulation of vascular tone was restored,as L-NAME enhanced vasoconstriction only in this group.Although NO release was unchanged,relaxations to the NO donor DEA-NO were significantly increased in HFD-P(P<0.05),indicating enhanced smooth muscle sensitivity to NO.Oxidative stress did not appear to mediate this effect,since tempol had no influence on DEA-NO responses.Despite these vascular benefits,circulating endotoxin levels remained elevated in both HFD and HFD-P rats relative to controls,showing that pectin supplementation did not prevent diet-induced endotoxemia.In conclusion,citrus pectin improves vascular function in MtS by blunting sympathetic neurotransmission and restoring nitrergic modulation probably through enhanced smooth muscle responsiveness to NO,independently of endotoxin clearance.These findings support the potential of soluble fibers as adjunctive dietary strategies to counteract vascular dysfunction in metabolic disease.
基金
funded by CIBERCV(Grant number:CB16/11/00286)
the Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovacion(PID2022-138610OB-100,PID2024-162710OB-I00).
