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High dietary sodium augments vascular tone and attenuates low-flow mediated constriction in salt-resistant adults

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Abstract

Introduction

Low-flow mediated constriction (L-FMC) has emerged as a valuable and complementary measure of flow-mediated dilation (FMD) for assessing endothelial function non-invasively. High dietary sodium has been shown to impair FMD independent of changes in blood pressure (BP), but its effects on L-FMC are unknown.

Purpose

To test the hypothesis that high dietary sodium would attenuate brachial artery L-FMC in salt-resistant adults.

Methods

Fifteen healthy, normotensive adults (29 ± 6 years) participated in a controlled feeding study. Following a run-in diet, participants completed a 7-day low sodium (LS; 20 mmol sodium/day) and 7-day high sodium (HS; 300 mmol sodium/day) diet in randomized order. On the last day of each diet, 24 h urine was collected and assessments of 24 h ambulatory BP and L-FMC were performed. Salt-resistance was defined as a change in 24 h ambulatory mean arterial pressure (MAP) between the LS and HS diets of ≤ 5 mmHg. Resting vascular tone and L-FMC were calculated from ultrasound-derived arterial diameters.

Results

High dietary sodium increased serum sodium and urinary sodium excretion (p < 0.001 for both), but 24 h MAP was unchanged (p = 0.16) by design. High dietary sodium augmented vascular tone (LS: 91 ± 23%, HS: 125 ± 56%, p = 0.01) and attenuated L-FMC (LS: − 0.58 ± 0.99%, HS: 0.17 ± 1.23%, p = 0.008).

Conclusion

These findings in salt-resistant adults provide additional evidence that dietary sodium has adverse vascular effects independent of changes in BP.

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Abbreviations

BP:

Blood pressure

DBP:

Diastolic blood pressure

ECG:

Electrocardiogram

EDHF:

Endothelium-derived hyperpolarizing factor

ET-1:

Endothelin-1

FMD:

Flow-mediated dilation

HS:

High sodium

L-FMC:

Low-flow mediated constriction

LS:

Low sodium

MAP:

Mean arterial pressure

NO:

Nitric oxide

PGI2 :

Prostacyclin

SBP:

Systolic blood pressure

TXA2 :

Thromboxane A2

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Acknowledgements

This research was supported by an NIH Grants R01 HL104106 and P20 GM113125.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Kinesiology and Applied Physiology, University of Delaware, Newark, DE, USA

    Ninette Shenouda, Meghan G. Ramick, Shannon L. Lennon, William B. Farquhar & David G. Edwards

  2. Department of Kinesiology, West Chester University, West Chester, PA, USA

    Meghan G. Ramick

Authors
  1. Ninette Shenouda
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  2. Meghan G. Ramick
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  3. Shannon L. Lennon
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  4. William B. Farquhar
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  5. David G. Edwards
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Contributions

SLL, WBF, DGE conceived and designed research; MGR and NS performed experiments and/or analyzed data; NS and DGE interpreted results of experiments; NS drafted manuscript and prepared figures; NS and DGE edited and revised manuscript. All authors read and approved the manuscript.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to David G. Edwards.

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The authors have no conflicts of interest to disclose.

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Shenouda, N., Ramick, M.G., Lennon, S.L. et al. High dietary sodium augments vascular tone and attenuates low-flow mediated constriction in salt-resistant adults. Eur J Appl Physiol 120, 1383–1389 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-020-04370-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-020-04370-0

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