Evaluación de los efectos de extractos de hojas de morera Morus alba L. sobre la función cardiovascular, renal y plaquetaria en la hipertensión arterial experimental

Resumo

According to the World Health Organization (WHO 2023), cardiovascular diseases are one of the main causes of death in Western countries. Of these, arterial hypertension (HTN) is a very important risk factor for cardiovascular disease and has long been a global public health problem. For decades, important discoveries have been made both in the pathophysiology and in the treatment of hypertension through a range of drugs including those that affect the renin-angiotensin system (RAAS), diuretics, alfa-adrenergic antagonists and calcium channel blockers, among others (Hall 2024). For years, many epidemiological studies have observed that the use of foods rich in polyphenols and flavonoids in the diet has beneficial effects on some chronic diseases such as HTN (García-Estañ 2019). In general, a higher intake of flavonoids is associated with a lower risk of cardiovascular disease (Atucha 2022; Vargas 2018). Recent studies from our laboratory (Paredes 2018a and 2018b) have shown that some flavonoids have a beneficial effect as antihypertensive agents in several animal models of hypertension. The main objective of this thesis was to evaluate the effect of mulberry extracts Morus alba L. in an experimental hypertension model due to nitric oxide deficiency. Methods: Male Sprague-Dawley rats were used, divided into control groups, hypertensive rats treated with a six-week treatment of an inhibitor of NO synthesis (L-NAME) in the drinking water, hypertensive rats treated with an extract of Morus alba L. and hypertensive rats treated simultaneously with captopril. After six weeks of treatment, blood pressure and renal function were measured, as well as endothelial vascular function in the aorta and platelet aggregation function. Results: Experiments have shown that Morus alba L extract is safe for use in animals. It prevents the development of arterial hypertension due to nitric oxide deficiency, although it does not completely normalize it. It also reduces the excessive vasoconstrictive response to phenylephrine in aortic rings and improves vasodilation to acetylcholine, both effects dependent on the increase in nitric oxide production. In addition, Morus alba L extract reduced the increased platelet aggregation to ADP and collagen in hypertensive animals, although it did not normalize it. Likewise, the extract improved the renal morphological alterations in hypertensive animals. Conclusions: Morus alba L extract has an antihypertensive effect, improves vascular reactivity, platelet aggregation and renal morphological alterations in a model of arterial hypertension due to nitric oxide deficiency. These effects are related to an increase in the effects of nitric oxide.