The proposed investigation will determine which bean type (black or navy) has the greatest potency for positively modifying blood vessel structure and function, blood pressure and serum cholesterol levels. The spontaneously hypertensive rat, which develops arterial stiffness and undergoes arterial remodeling (smaller lumen and thicker wall) due to hypertension (high blood pressure) will be employed as the experimental model. Blood pressure will be measured by the tail-cuff method. We will evaluate vessel morphology after termination to assess structural changes in the blood vessel wall. The functional properties of blood vessels will be assessed ex vivo using pressure myography; a resistance artery from mesenteric fat is dissected, mounted on a pressure myograph, and assessed for its response to compounds that cause dilation and constriction of blood vessels. These results will be correlated with select biochemical markers of cardiovascular disease risk, including total and LDL cholesterol.
Related Project – Mixed Beans – Characterization of Bioactive Compounds Absorption and Excretion, and Relationship to Improvements in Cardiovascular Function (read more)