Antihypertensive Potential of Pistacia lentiscus var. Chia : Molecular Insights and Therapeutic Implications

• Published in: Nutrients Vol. 16; no. 13; p. 2152
• Main Authors: Efentakis, Panagiotis, Symeonidi, Lydia, Gianniou, Despoina D, Mikropoulou, Eleni V, Giardoglou, Panagiota, Valakos, Dimitrios, Vatsellas, Giannis, Tsota, Maria, Kostomitsopoulos, Nikolaos, Smyrnioudis, Ilias, Trougakos, Ioannis P, Halabalaki, Maria, Dedoussis, Georgios V, Andreadou, Ioanna
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland MDPI AG 05-07-2024
• Subjects: Angiotensin II; Animals; Antihypertensive Agents - pharmacology; Antihypertensives; Atherosclerosis; Blood pressure; Blood Pressure - drug effects; chios mastic gum; Coronary vessels; Desoxycorticosterone Acetate; Disease Models, Animal; Drinking water; Endothelium, Vascular - drug effects; Experiments; Hypertension; Hypertension - drug therapy; Kidney - drug effects; Kidney - metabolism; Kidney diseases; Laboratory animals; Male; Mastic Resin; Nephrology; Oils & fats; Oxidative stress; Oxidative Stress - drug effects; phytotherapeutic; Pistacia - chemistry; Plant Extracts - pharmacology; Rats; Rats, Sprague-Dawley; renal endothelium; Veins & arteries; United States > US; Chios; renal endothelium; chios mastic gum; hypertension; phytotherapeutic
• ISSN: 2072-6643; 2072-6643
• DOI: 10.3390/nu16132152

Hypertension poses a significant global health burden and is associated with cardiovascular morbidity. Chios mastic gum (CMG), derived from
var.
, shows potential as a phytotherapeutic agent, due to its multifaceted beneficial effects. However, its anti-hypertensive effects and vascular, circulatory, and renal-related dysfunction, have not been thoroughly investigated. Herein, we aimed to explore the antihypertensive potential of CMG, focusing on vascular and renal endothelium, in vivo.
Two models of hypertension in male rats, induced by Angiotensin II and Deoxycorticosterone acetate (DOCA)-high-salt administration, were utilized. CMG was administered at 220 mg/kg daily for four weeks after hypertension onset and blood pressure was measured non-invasively. Whole blood RNA sequencing, metabolomics, real-time PCR, and Western blot analyses of kidney and aorta tissues were additionally performed.
CMG significantly lowered systolic, diastolic, and mean blood pressure in both models. RNA sequencing revealed that CMG modulated immunity in the Angiotensin II model and metabolism in the DOCA-HS model. CMG downregulated genes related to oxidative stress and endothelial dysfunction and upregulated endothelial markers such as Vegfa. Metabolomic analysis indicated improved endothelial homeostasis via lysophosphatidylinositol upregulation.
CMG emerges as a potent natural antihypertensive therapy, demonstrating beneficial effects on blood pressure and renal endothelial function.