Joanna Suliburska

Background: Hypertension remains a major global health concern requiring multifactorial therapeutic approaches. Myokines mediate communication between skeletal muscle and the cardiovascular system, while calcium homeostasis plays a central role in vascular function and cardiac contractility. Aim: This study investigated the effects of long-term low-intensity exercise on blood pressure, myokines, and tissue calcium content in Wistar (healthy rats) and spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRs). Methods: Thirty-two male rats were assigned to trained (n = 16) or sedentary (n = 16) groups and subjected to a 12-week treadmill protocol. Results: In SHRs, training was associated with increased cardiac FSTL-1, follistatin, and myostatin levels and decreased skeletal muscle apelin (all p ≤ 0.028). In Wistar rats, hepatic FSTL-1 increased (p = 0.015), hepatic musclin decreased (p = 0.001), and skeletal muscle calcium content was lower in trained rats. Calcium content remained largely unchanged in other tissues. SHR-T rats exhibited significantly lower systolic and diastolic blood pressure than SHR-NT rats at baseline and after training (all p ≤ 0.003). However, blood pressure changes from baseline to endpoint did not differ significantly between trained and non-trained rats in either strain (all p ≥ 0.234). Wistar-T rats had lower endpoint diastolic blood pressure than Wistar-NT rats (p = 0.028). Conclusions: Twelve weeks of low-intensity exercise were accompanied by tissue-specific alterations in myokine levels, whereas calcium concentrations in most tissues remained unchanged in both spontaneously hypertensive and Wistar rats. These findings indicate that exercise may influence myokine regulation without substantially altering tissue calcium status. While the effects of training on blood pressure were modest, the observed myokine alterations highlight potential mechanisms involved in exercise-related cardiovascular adaptation. Further research is needed to elucidate the mechanisms linking physical training, myokine responses, and calcium homeostasis in cardiovascular health.

Background: Phosphorus is an essential component of bone and energy metabolism; however, the mechanism involved in the regulation of phosphorus under postmenopausal conditions remains insufficiently understood. Interestingly, the disruption of estrogen status can alter mineral homeostasis. Meanwhile, phytoestrogens and probiotics may offer a non-pharmacological strategy to support mineral homeostasis; nonetheless, evidence of their impact on phosphorus distribution remains limited. Thus, this study aimed to evaluate the effect of daidzein, tempeh, and Lactobacillus acidophilus on phosphorus distribution in ovariectomized (OVX) rats. Methods: A total of 64 female Wistar rats were allocated to sham-operated (n = 8) or OVX (n = 56) groups. Following a three-week calcium-deficient diet, the OVX rats were randomized to seven dietary interventions for six weeks: control (O), alendronate (OB), daidzein (10 mg/kg diet/day; OD), tempeh (250 g/kg diet/day; OT), probiotic L. acidophilus (1 × 1010 CFU/day; OL), daidzein + probiotic (ODL), or tempeh + probiotic (OTL). Food intake, body mass, and phosphorus concentrations in feces, the femur, kidney, pancreas, spleen, heart, and liver were analyzed. Results: OVX groups (O, 366 ± 14 g; p = 0.01; OD, 361 ± 18 g; p = 0.02; OL, 358 ± 29 g; p = 0.04) gained significantly more body mass than sham controls (311 ± 30 g). Dietary interventions with daidzein, tempeh, and L. acidophilus enhanced phosphorus deposition in the femur, kidney, and pancreas compared with the OVX controls. The OT group showed the highest femoral phosphorus levels (178,111 ± 32,628 mg/kg d.w., p = 0.02), while the ODL group revealed elevated phosphorus levels in the kidney (12,966 ± 462 mg/kg d.w.; p = 0.01). The OD (914 ± 115 mg/kg d.w.; p < 0.001), ODL (913 ± 39 mg/kg d.w.; p < 0.001), and OTL (926 ± 70 mg/kg d.w.; p < 0.001) groups showed significantly increased levels of pancreatic phosphorus. A positive correlation was noted between the pancreatic and femoral phosphorus levels (r = 0.33; p = 0.02). Alendronate treatment had no significant effect. Conclusions: Dietary daidzein, tempeh, and probiotics modulate phosphorus distribution in postmenopausal rats. These results support the translational potential of dietary bioactives to improve phosphorus metabolism in postmenopausal women.

Background: Lactiplantibacillus plantarum synthesizes in vitro hydroxyphenyllactic acid (HPLA)—an iron-reducing agent supposed to facilitate duodenal Fe absorption. So far, no such in vivo HPLA production has been established. This study aimed to investigate the ability of Lactiplantibacillus plantarum to produce HPLA in the duodenum in rats on a high-fat iron-deficient diet. Methods: Rats were fed a high fat (HF) diet; HF, Fe-deficient diet (HFDEF); or control (C) diet for 8 weeks. Over the next 8 weeks, animals in the C and HF groups continued on their respective diets, while animals in the HFDEF group were divided into six subgroups and received combinations of an HF, Fe-deficient diet with Lactiplantibacillus plantarum (Lp), Latilactobacillus curvatus (Lc), and Fe supplementation (HFDEF, HFDEFFe, HFDEFLp, HFDEFLc, HFDEFFeLp, and HFDEFFeLc). Duodenal and faecal samples were collected. Results: No significant differences were observed in HPLA content in the duodenum and faeces, nor in Fe chelating abilities in faeces, between study groups at the completion of the study. Fe content in faeces was higher in the HFDEFFe group than in the C, HF, HFDEF, HFDEFLp, and HFDEFLc groups. Fe content in faeces was higher in the HFDEFFeLp and HFDEFFeLc groups than in the HFDEF and HFDEFLc groups. Conclusions: Lactiplantibacillus plantarum, whether alone or with oral Fe, does not influence duodenal and faecal HPLA content, nor does it affect faecal Fe chelating abilities in rats on the HF, Fe-deficient diet.

Background: The pathophysiology of preeclampsia involves impaired cytotrophoblastic invasion, placental ischemia, inflammation, and angiogenic imbalance. Prophylactic low-dose aspirin can reduce the risk of preeclampsia and fetal growth restriction in high-risk women. This study evaluated the effect of dietary salicylates on the development of preeclampsia in rats treated with L-NAME (NG-nitro-L-arginine-methyl ester). Methodology: Pregnant Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly assigned to six groups and treated with dietary salicylates at two dose levels (1 and 10 mg/kg diet) or aspirin (doses adjusted to dietary salicylates). Preeclampsia was induced by administering L-NAME in drinking water from gestational days 6–19. Results: Neither dietary salicylates nor aspirin, at either dose, affected blood pressure in L-NAME-treated rats. The lower dose of dietary salicylates significantly reduced urinary albumin levels. Both interventions prevented an increase in the sFlt/PLGF ratio and mitigated histopathological placental changes in preeclamptic rats. The higher dose of aspirin reduced placental VEGFR2 protein levels. Conclusion: Dietary salicylate supplementation does not provide clear preventive effects against preeclampsia.

Background/Objectives: Postmenopausal osteoporosis disrupts magnesium homeostasis and hematological balance, contributing to systemic inflammation and metabolic alterations. This study aimed to assess the effects of dietary interventions—tempeh, daidzein, probiotics, and their combinations—on magnesium status and hematological ratios in a postmenopausal osteoporotic Wistar rat model. Methods: Sixty-four rats were divided into one sham group (n = 8) and seven ovariectomized (OVX) groups (n = 56), with different modified diets administered for six weeks. In addition, one of the groups received alendronate bisphosphonate as a pharmacological reference to benchmark the dietary interventions against standard anti-osteoporotic therapy. Magnesium levels in the tissues and feces, along with blood hematological ratios (neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), monocyte-to-lymphocyte ratio (MLR), platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), and triglyceride-to-glucose index (TyG)), were evaluated. Results: The results revealed that a combination of tempeh and probiotics (OTL) significantly increased magnesium levels in the feces, spleen, and hair, while reducing liver magnesium levels. Compared to the standard groups (S and O), the hematological analysis revealed that the daidzein group (OD) had the highest MLR, while the OTL group exhibited the lowest TyG index. The alendronate bisphosphonate (OB) intervention showed no significant effect on tissue magnesium levels, feces magnesium levels, or hematological ratios. Correlation analysis revealed a strong negative association between spleen magnesium levels and the PLR (r = −0.626) and a positive relationship between liver magnesium levels and TyG (r = 0.422). Conclusions: The authors of this study concludes that while ovariectomy significantly altered magnesium status and hematological ratios, the dietary combination of tempeh, daidzein, and probiotics did not demonstrate an apparent beneficial effect on magnesium status or inflammatory ratios in a postmenopausal osteoporotic rat model. However, the findings highlight interesting aspects of magnesium status and its correlations with metabolic and inflammatory parameters, warranting further investigation.

Vacuum impregnation (VI) and ultrasound-assisted impregnation (US) were applied to Gala apples with the aim of improving the antioxidant capacity and calcium content of freeze-dried apples. An impregnation solution was composed of 93.8% sea buckthorn (SB) juice with 0 and 4% (w/w) calcium lactate...

Low-dose aspirin prophylaxis is recommended for women at high risk of preeclampsia. It has been suggested that dietary salicylates may have a similar effect. Despite the known anti-inflammatory properties of salicylates, their influence on trace elements in preeclampsia remains unclear. This research investigated the effect of dietary salicylates and aspirin on iron, zinc, and copper status in rats with NG-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME)–induced preeclampsia. The study involved pregnant Sprague Dawley rats divided into six groups: control group (CH), preeclamptic rats (CP), preeclamptic rats with a low dose of dietary salicylate (LSP), preeclamptic rats with a high dose of dietary salicylate, preeclamptic rats with a low dose of aspirin (LAP), and preeclamptic rats with a high dose of aspirin. The content of trace elements in diets, liver, kidney, heart, spleen, pancreas, femur, brain, and hair was measured using flame atomic absorption spectrometry. Salicylate concentrations in diets, serum, and urine were analyzed using HPLC and UHPLC-MS/MS systems. Administration of L-NAME resulted in elevated blood pressure across groups, and only the LAP group had blood pressure levels comparable to the CH group. Preeclampsia significantly decreased serum hepcidin levels, while salicylates abolished this effect. Salicylate administration significantly decreased iron levels in hair and increased maternal zinc concentrations in the brain. Dietary salicylates markedly increased zinc levels in the placenta. In conclusion, L-NAME–induced preeclampsia decreases maternal serum hepcidin. Treatment with salicylates modulates iron and zinc status in preeclamptic rats, with specific effects on hepcidin levels.