Mitochondrial targeted antioxidant intake improves vascular function and exercise tolerance in peripheral artery disease patients

Peripheral artery disease (PAD) is a manifestation of atherosclerosis in the leg arteries, which causes reduced blood flow and leg pain. This may be in part due to excessive mitochondria-produced reactive oxygen species (ROS) and attenuated mitochondrial respiratory function. Mitoquinol mesylate, a mitochondrial-targeted antioxidant, has been shown to scavenge ROS and improve vascular function in older adults and animal models. However, the impacts of mitoquinol on vascular function in PAD patients are unknown. We sought to examine the impacts of mitoquinol intake (80mg) on endothelial function (flow mediated dilation, FMD), resting heart rate (RHR), blood pressure (BP), arterial stiffness (pulse wave velocity, PWV), and exercise tolerance in PAD patients. 10 PAD patients (stage II-III) received either mitoquinol or placebo in a randomized crossover design. At each visit, measurements of RHR, BP, brachial and popliteal artery FMD, PWV, augmentation index (AIx), maximal walking capacity, and time to claudication (COT) were measured before and after mitoquinol and placebo. There were significant group by time interactions (ppp=0.10), carotid-to-ankle PWV (p=0.08), and increases in maximal walking time (p=0.06), and maximal walking distance (p=0.06). There were no changes in RHR, systolic BP, central BP, deceleration time, max dP/dt, carotid-to-radial PWV, carotid-to-femoral PWV, or AIx (p\u3e0.05). Mitoquinol intake may be an effective strategy for targeting mitochondrial ROS, which may be useful for treating endothelial dysfunction, leg pain, and improving walking time in PAD patients

Habitual Combined Exercise Protects against Age-Associated Decline in Vascular Function and Lipid Profiles in Elderly Postmenopausal Women

Postmenopausal status is associated with increased risks for cardiovascular diseases (CVD). This study investigated differences in vascular function, lipids, body composition, and physical fitness in elderly postmenopausal women active in combined resistance and aerobic exercise (CRAE) training for 1 year versus a sedentary cohort of similar-in-age counterparts. Elderly postmenopausal women performing habitual CRAE training for 1 year (age ~75 year; CRAE, n = 57) and elderly sedentary postmenopausal women (age ~78 year; SED, n = 44) were recruited. Arterial stiffness (brachial-to-ankle pulse-wave velocity, baPWV), blood pressure, blood lipids, anthropometrics, 2-min walking distance, and muscular strength were assessed for both groups. There were significant differences for baPWV, systolic blood pressure, low-density lipoprotein, and body fat percentage, which were significantly lower (p \u3c 0.05) in CRAE vs. SED, and both 2 min walking distance and muscular strength were significantly greater (p \u3c 0.05) in CRAE vs. SED. These results indicate that elderly postmenopausal women participating in habitual CRAE training may have better protection against risks for CVD and have better physical fitness compared to SED counterparts

The Impact of Aspirin Intake on Lactate Dehydrogenase, Arterial Stiffness, and Oxidative Stress During High-Intensity Exercise: A Pilot Study

Aspirin is a common nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug used to reduce fever, pain, and inflammation. However, aspirin\u27s anti-inflammatory properties may also prevent increased levels of blood lactate dehydrogenase, vascular arterial stiffness and oxidative stress induced by high-intensity exercise. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of 4 weeks of aspirin supplementation on lactate dehydrogenase activity, lactate, arterial stiffness, and antioxidant capacity during high-intensity exercise in Taekwondo athletes. Participants were randomly divided into two groups: aspirin supplementation (n = 10) and placebo-control (n = 10). Blood levels of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) enzyme activity and lactate were assessed to examine muscle damage and carotid-to-radial pulse wave velocity and the augmentation index were measured to examine arterial stiffness. Blood levels of superoxide dismutase, malondialdehyde, and glutathione peroxidase were assessed to determine antioxidant capacity and levels of oxidative stress. There were significant group × time interactions for enzyme activity of LDH (Δ-60 ± 24.36 U/L) and carotid-to-radial pulse wave velocity (Δ-1.33 ± 0.54 m/s), which significantly decreased (p \u3c 0.05) following aspirin supplementation compared to placebo-control. Superoxide dismutase (Δ359 ± 110 U/gHb) and glutathione peroxidase (Δ28.2 ± 10.1 U/gHb) significantly decreased while malondialdehyde (0Δ3.0 ± 0.1 mmol/mL) significantly increased (p \u3c 0.05) in the placebo-control group compared to the supplementation group. However, there were no changes in lactate concentration levels or augmentation index. These results reveal that low-dose aspirin supplementation would be a useful supplementation therapy to prevent high-intensity exercise training-induced increases in oxidative damage, inflammation, skeletal muscle fatigue, and arterial stiffness in elite Taekwondo athletes

Impacts of dietary nitrate on endothelial function, arterial stiffness, and systemic vascular pressure in peripheral arterial disease

Peripheral arterial disease (PAD) is the manifestation of atherosclerotic plaque in the larger arteries of the legs, which results in impaired blood flow to the lower extremities. Markers of vascular health, including endothelial function and arterial stiffness, have been shown to be attenuated in PAD. Purpose: We sought to examine the effects of a nitrate supplement (body mass-normalized dosage of beetroot juice) on vascular function measurements such as endothelial function, arterial stiffness, and central and peripheral blood pressure in patients with PAD. We hypothesized that acute intake of a nitrate supplement would improve vascular function. Methods: PAD patients (stage II-III, n=2, age around 73) had vascular measurements taken pre and post-beetroot juice ingestion including heart rate (HR), blood pressure (BP), endothelial function, arterial stiffness, and central pressure analysis. Results: Following nitrate ingestion, HR increased (Δ0.5 bpm) along with decreases in peripheral BP (Δ-9/-10 mmHg) and central BP (Δ-18/-4 mmHg). Endothelial function increased (Δ3.75%), carotid-to-radial pulse wave velocity decreased (Δ0.25 m/s), and augmentation index increased (Δ30.1%) after nitrate intake. Measurements of deceleration time increased (Δ49.5ms) and augmented pressure decreased (Δ-5 mmHg) after nitrate ingestion. Conclusion: Acute intake of a nitrate supplement may potentially be a useful therapeutic treatment to improve both central and peripheral vascular function which may be explained by increased endothelial dependent and independent vasodilatory mechanisms. However, this is a pilot study with two patients; therefore, future study is warranted with a bigger sample size to examine impacts of nitrate ingestion on vascular function and to further extrapolate our findings to patients with PAD

Combined anthocyanins and bromelain supplement improves endothelial function and skeletal muscle oxygenation status in adults: a double-blind placebo-controlled randomised crossover clinical trial

Anthocyanins and bromelain have gained significant attention due to their antioxidative and anti-inflammatory properties. Both have been shown to improve endothelial function, blood pressure (BP) and oxygen utility capacity in humans; however, the combination of these two and the impacts on endothelial function, BP, total antioxidant capacity (TAC) and oxygen utility capacity have not been previously investigated. The purpose of this study was to investigate the impacts of a combined anthocyanins and bromelain supplement (BE) on endothelial function, BP, TAC, oxygen utility capacity and fatigability in healthy adults. Healthy adults (n 18, age 24 (SD 4) years) received BE or placebo in a randomised crossover design. Brachial artery flow-mediated dilation (FMD), BP, TAC, resting heart rate, oxygen utility capacity and fatigability were measured pre- and post-BE and placebo intake. The BE group showed significantly increased FMD, reduced systolic BP and improved oxygen utility capacity compared with the placebo group (P \u3c 0·05). Tissue saturation and oxygenated Hb significantly increased following BE intake, while deoxygenated Hb significantly decreased (P \u3c 0·05) during exercise. Additionally, TAC was significantly increased following BE intake (P \u3c 0·05). There were no significant differences for resting heart rate, diastolic BP or fatigability index. These results suggest that BE intake is an effective nutritional therapy for improving endothelial function, BP, TAC and oxygen utility capacity, which may be beneficial to support vascular health in humans

Acute mitochondrial antioxidant intake improves endothelial function, antioxidant enzyme activity, and exercise tolerance in patients with peripheral artery disease

Peripheral artery disease (PAD) is a manifestation of atherosclerosis in the leg arteries, which causes claudication. This may be in part due to vascular mitochondrial dysfunction and excessive reactive oxygen species (ROS) production. A mitochondrial-targeted antioxidant (MitoQ) has been shown to improve vascular mitochondrial function that, in turn, led to improved vascular function in older adults and animal models. However, the roles of vascular mitochondria in vascular function including endothelial function and arterial stiffness in patients with PAD are unknown; therefore, with the use of acute MitoQ intake, this study examined the roles of vascular mitochondria in endothelial function, arterial stiffness, exercise tolerance, and skeletal muscle function in patients with PAD. Eleven patients with PAD received either MitoQ or placebo in a randomized crossover design. At each visit, blood samples, brachial and popliteal artery flow-mediated dilation (FMD), peripheral and central pulse-wave velocity (PWV), blood pressure (BP), maximal walking capacity, time to claudication (COT), and oxygen utility capacity were measured pre- and-post-MitoQ and placebo. There were significant group by time interactions (P \u3c 0.05) for brachial and popliteal FMD that both increased by Δ2.6 and Δ3.3%, respectively, and increases superoxide dismutase (Δ0.03 U/mL), maximal walking time (Δ73.8 s), maximal walking distance (Δ49.3 m), and COT (Δ44.2 s). There were no changes in resting heart rate, BP, malondialdehyde, total antioxidant capacity, PWV, or oxygen utility capacity (P \u3e 0.05). MitoQ intake may be an effective strategy for targeting the vascular mitochondrial environment, which may be useful for restoring endothelial function, leg pain, and walking time in patients with PAD