Cardiovascular changes in dietary-induced obese rats: anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effect of tart cherry supplementation.

Obesity is a risk factor for cardiovascular diseases related to infl ammation and oxidative stress [1]. In the last decade, considerable interest has been shown in diet supplementation with natural bioactive compounds and their ability to preserve or improve cardiovascular health [2]. Assumption of red fruits rich in bioactive phytochemicals attracts great attention since their benefi ts have been attributed mostly to their possible antioxidant properties [1]. In the present work, we have evaluated the oxidative status and infl ammation in the heart of dietary-induced obese (DIO) rats exposed to a high-fat diet compared to a standard diet. Moreover, the possible protective eff ects of tart cherry seed powder and seed powder plus tart cherry juice were ana-lysed.The oxidative stress was assessed by investigating protein oxidation and 4-hydroxynonenal expression in heart samples. Western blot assays and immunohistochemistry, followed by the morphological analysis on the expression of proinfl ammatory cytokines and endothelial adhe-sion molecules were done. In DIO rats, cardiomyocyte hypertrophy was accompanied by an increase in oxidized proteins and lipid peroxidation. The intake of tart cherry seeds powder and juice signifi cantly countered the above changes. Heart injury was associated with NF-κB activation and increased endothelial adhesion molecules and cytokines (TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6) expression levels. An anti-infl ammatory eff ect, with downregulation of diff erent parameters analysed, was induced by tart cherry consumption. These eff ects could be related to the reduc-tion of systolic blood pressure and glycemic values induced by the supplementation. Our fi nd-ings support the view of an antioxidant and anti-infl ammatory activity of tart cherry juice and seeds. This dietary supplementation can contribute to prevent or counter obesity-linked cardio-vascular disease