Lingonberry juice improves endothelium-dependent vasodilatation of mesenteric arteries in spontaneously hypertensive rats in a long-term intervention

Phenolic compounds of berries, fruits and vegetables affect vascular health. Endothelium-dependent vasodilatation has an important role in blood pressure development by controlling the vascular tone. Endothelial cells produce and release various relaxing and contracting factors, like nitric oxide (NO), cyclo-oxygenase (COX)-derived prostanoids and endothelium-derived hyperpolarizing factor (EDHF). The purpose of this study was to investigate whether 8 weeks treatment with Finnish berry juices, cranberry (Vaccinium oxycoccos), lingonberry (Vaccinium vitis-idaea) and blackcurrant (Ribes nigrum) affects blood pressure and vascular function of spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR). After 8 weeks treatment the mesenteric arteries of the rats were taken for vascular reactivity studies. Lingonberry treatment normalized the impaired endothelium-dependent relaxation seen in the cranberry, blackcurrant and control rats. In the arteries of lingonberry treated rats the relaxation was partly due to NO, but also dependent on EDHF. It can be concluded that long-term lingonberry juice treatment improves endothelium-dependent vasodilatation of SHR.