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The biological consequences of chronic consumption of Maillard reaction products (MRPs) on renal function in health and renal disease are still incompletely understood. We investigated the metabolic and renal effects of a diet with varying MRP content in healthy and subtotally nephrectomized rats. Male Wistar rats were subjected to sham operation (control, C, n = 12), or to 5/6 nephrectomy (5/6NX, n = 12). Both groups were randomized into subgroups and pair-fed with either a MRP-poor or -rich diet for six weeks. The diet was prepared by replacing 5% or 25% of wheat starch by bread crust (BC). In spite of pair-feeding, the rats on the 25% BC diet gained more body weight (C: 183 +/- 6 g; C + 5% BC: 197 +/- 7 g; C + 25% BC: 229 +/- 6 g [P < 0.05]; 5/6NX: 165 +/- 10 g; 5/6NX + 5% BC: 202 +/- 3 g; 5/6NX + 25% BC: 209 +/- 8 g [P < 0.05]) and had a higher organ weight (heart, liver, lung, kidney/remnant kidney). Bread crust-enriched diet induced proteinuria (C: 15 +/- 5 mg/24 h; C + 5% BC: 19 +/- 4; C + 25% BC: 26 +/- 3 [P < 0.05]; 5/6NX: 30 +/- 7 mg/24 h; 5/6NX + 5% BC: 47 +/- 9; 5/6NX + 25% BC: 87 +/- 19 [P < 0.01]) and a rise in urinary transforming growth factor beta(1) excretion (C: 0.4 +/- 0.1 ng/24 h; C + 5% BC: 0.6 +/- 0.1; C + 25% BC: 1.2 +/- 0.3; 5/6NX: 0.5 +/- 0.1 ng/24 h; 5/6NX + 5% BC: 0.9 +/- 0.1; 5/6NX + 25% BC: 1.6 +/- 0.2 [P < 0.01]). Plasma creatinine or creatinine clearance were not affected significantly. In conclusion, our data suggests that long-term consumption of a diet rich in MRPs may lead to damage of the kidneys.

BackgroundIncrease of blood pressure is accompanied by functional and morphological changes in the vascular wall. The presented study explored the effects of curcuma and black pepper compounds on increased blood pressure and remodeling of aorta in the rat model of experimental NO-deficient hypertension.MethodsWistar rats were administered for 6 weeks clear water or L-NAME (40 mg/kg/day) dissolved in water, piperine (20 mg/kg/day), curcumin (100 mg/kg/day) or their combination in corn oil by oral gavage. The systolic blood pressure was measured weekly. Histological slices of thoracic aorta were stained with hematoxylin and eosin, Mallory's phosphotungstic acid hematoxylin (PTAH), orcein, picrosirius red and van Gieson staining and with antibodies against smooth muscle cells actin. Microscopic pictures were digitally processed and morphometrically evaluated.ResultsThe increase of blood pressure caused by L-NAME was partially prevented by piperine and curcumin, but the effect of their combination was less significant. Animals with hypertension had increased wall thickness and cross-sectional area of the aorta, accompanied by relative increase of PTAH positive myofibrils and decrease of elastin, collagen and actin content. Piperine was able to decrease the content of myofibrils and slightly increase actin, while curcumin also prevented elastin decrease. The combination of spices had similar effects on aortic morphology as curcumin itself.ConclusionsAdministration of piperine or curcumin, less their combination, is able to partially prevent the increase of blood pressure caused by chronic L-NAME administration. The spices modify the remodeling of the wall of the aorta induced by hypertension. Our results show that independent administration of curcumin is more effective in preventing negative changes in blood vessel morphology accompanying hypertensive disease.

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OBJECTIVES: To test the hypothesis if mitochondrial bioenergetic function analyzed in circulating platelets may represent peripheral signature of mitochondrial dysfunction in nephropathy associated to noncommunicable human diseases such as cardiovascular diseases, diabetes and with statins treatment. METHODS: High-resolution respirometry was used for analysis of mitochondrial bioenergetics in human platelets isolated from peripheral blood. This method is less-invasively compared to skeletal muscle biopsy. Patients with nephropathies and in combination with non-communicable diseases were included in the study. RESULTS: This pilot study showed platelet mitochondrial bioenergy dysfunction in patients with nephropathies and non-communicable diseases. Positive effect of treatment with 10 mg atorvastatin on platelet mitochondrial respiratory chain Complex I-linked respiration and ATP production in patients with nephropathies, diabetes and 80 mg atorvastatin in patient with nephropathy and dialysis was found. Positive effect of 80 mg fl uvastatin treatment, and negative effect of thrombocytopenia and renal transplantation on platelet mitochondrial bioenergy was determined. CONCLUSION: High-resolution respirometry allowed detection of small changes in platelet mitochondrial function. This method could be used as a sensitive bioenergetic test of mitochondrial function for diagnosis and monitoring the therapy in patients with nephropathy (Tab. 1, Fig. 3, Ref. 39). Text in PDF www.elis.sk.