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Article

Mechanism of Green Tea Peptides in Lowering Blood Pressure and Alleviating Renal Injury Induced by Hypertension Through the Ang II/TGF-β1/SMAD Signaling Pathway

by
Lulu Li
1,2,†,
Shili Sun
2,†,
Xingfei Lai
2,
Qiuhua Li
2,
Ruohong Chen
2,
Zhenbiao Zhang
2,
Mengjiao Hao
2,
Suwan Zhang
2,
Lingli Sun
2,* and
Dongli Li
1,3,*
1
School of Biotechnology and Health Sciences, Wuyi University, Jiangmen 529020, China
2
Tea Research Institute, Guangdong Academy of Agricultural Sciences/Guangdong Key Laboratory of Tea Resources Innovation & Utilization, Guangzhou 510640, China
3
International Healthcare Innovation Institute (Jiangmen), Jiangmen 529040, China
*
Authors to whom correspondence should be addressed.
†
These authors contributed equally to this work.
Nutrients 2025, 17(8), 1300; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu17081300
Submission received: 8 March 2025 / Revised: 27 March 2025 / Accepted: 1 April 2025 / Published: 8 April 2025
(This article belongs to the Section Nutritional Epidemiology)
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Abstract

Background/Objectives: The kidney plays a crucial role in regulating normal blood pressure and is one of the major organs affected by hypertension. The present study aimed to investigate the hypotensive and renoprotective effects of four specific green tea peptides extracted from green tea dregs on spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRs) and to investigate the underlying mechanisms. Methods: Four specific green tea peptides (40 mg/kg) were gavaged to SHRs for 4 weeks, and blood pressure, renal function, renal pathological changes, renal tissue fibrosis indexes, and inflammation indexes were examined in SHRs to analyze the role of the four green tea peptides in alleviating hypertension and its renal injury. Results: The results showed that the four TPs significantly reduced systolic and diastolic blood pressure (20–24% and 18–28%) in SHR compared to the model group. Meanwhile, gene levels and protein expression of renal fibrosis-related targets such as phospho-Smad2/3 (p-Smad2/3) (26–47%), Sma- and Mad-related proteins 2/3 (Smad2/3) (19–38%), transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1) (36–63%), and alpha-smooth muscle actin (alpha-SMA) (58–86%) were also significantly reduced. In addition, the reduced expression levels of medullary differentiation factor 88 (MyD88) (14–36%), inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) (58–73%), and nuclear factor-κB p65 (NF-kB p65) (35–78%) in kidneys also confirmed that TPs attenuated renal inflammation in SHR. Therefore, green tea peptides could attenuate the fibrosis and inflammatory responses occurring in hypertensive kidneys by inhibiting the Ang II/TGF-β1/SMAD signaling pathway and MyD88/NF-κB p65/iNOS signaling pathway. Conclusions: The results showed that green tea peptides may be effective candidates for lowering blood pressure and attenuating kidney injury.
Keywords: tea polypeptide; hypertension; renal injury; TGF-β/Smad signaling tea polypeptide; hypertension; renal injury; TGF-β/Smad signaling
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MDPI and ACS Style

Li, L.; Sun, S.; Lai, X.; Li, Q.; Chen, R.; Zhang, Z.; Hao, M.; Zhang, S.; Sun, L.; Li, D. Mechanism of Green Tea Peptides in Lowering Blood Pressure and Alleviating Renal Injury Induced by Hypertension Through the Ang II/TGF-β1/SMAD Signaling Pathway. Nutrients 2025, 17, 1300. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu17081300

AMA Style

Li L, Sun S, Lai X, Li Q, Chen R, Zhang Z, Hao M, Zhang S, Sun L, Li D. Mechanism of Green Tea Peptides in Lowering Blood Pressure and Alleviating Renal Injury Induced by Hypertension Through the Ang II/TGF-β1/SMAD Signaling Pathway. Nutrients. 2025; 17(8):1300. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu17081300

Chicago/Turabian Style

Li, Lulu, Shili Sun, Xingfei Lai, Qiuhua Li, Ruohong Chen, Zhenbiao Zhang, Mengjiao Hao, Suwan Zhang, Lingli Sun, and Dongli Li. 2025. "Mechanism of Green Tea Peptides in Lowering Blood Pressure and Alleviating Renal Injury Induced by Hypertension Through the Ang II/TGF-β1/SMAD Signaling Pathway" Nutrients 17, no. 8: 1300. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu17081300

APA Style

Li, L., Sun, S., Lai, X., Li, Q., Chen, R., Zhang, Z., Hao, M., Zhang, S., Sun, L., & Li, D. (2025). Mechanism of Green Tea Peptides in Lowering Blood Pressure and Alleviating Renal Injury Induced by Hypertension Through the Ang II/TGF-β1/SMAD Signaling Pathway. Nutrients, 17(8), 1300. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu17081300

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