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Impact of Nitric Oxide Precursors and Donors on Vascular Function and Health

A special issue of Nutrients (ISSN 2072-6643). This special issue belongs to the section "Proteins and Amino Acids".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 April 2025 | Viewed by 1665

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Department of Kinesiology and Sport Management, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX 79409, USA
Interests: exercise physiology; arterial function; muscle fitness; muscle mass; muscle strength; middle-aged and older adults with obesity; hypertension; type 2 diabetes; nutritional supplementation on the age- and obesity-related cardiovascular and metabolic disturbances in women; endothelial function; arterial stiffness; resistance training; citrulline
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Guest Editor Assistant
Department of Epidemiology and Cancer Control, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA
Interests: exercise physiology; vascular physiology; aortic hemodynamics; arterial stiffness; endothelial dysfunction; cardiovascular health; cancer survivorship; hypertension; obesity; diabetes; sarcopenia; dynapenia; body composition; L-citrulline

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Aging, obesity, and cardiometabolic abnormalities are major risk factors for cardiovascular diseases (CVD), the leading cause of mortality worldwide. The amino acid L-arginine is the substrate for nitric oxide (NO) synthesis in endothelial cells. NO is a potent vasodilator, and its availability is essential for vascular health. NO can be produced via the L-arginine-NO and nitrate–nitrite–NO pathways from precursors and donors.

Endothelial dysfunction, characterized by low NO availability, is an early indicator for the development of CVD via arterial stiffening and atherosclerosis. Cardiometabolic risk factors contribute to endothelial dysfunction, including hypertension, hyperglycemia, dyslipidemia, and abdominal adiposity. Reduced NO production could be reverted with NO precursors and NO donors.

Although L-arginine, L-citrulline, and dietary nitrates have shown effectiveness in improving endothelial function, blood flow, and blood pressure, more evidence on the vascular effects of these NO precursors and donors requires further research.

This Special Issue aims to collect original research, meta-analyses, and systemic reviews on the effects of dietary and supplementary NO precursors (e.g., amino acids such as L-citrulline, L-arginine) or donors (e.g., nitrates) on vascular function and health in individuals with cardiometabolic risk factors or diseases

Prof. Dr. Arturo Figueroa
Guest Editor

Dr. Arun Maharaj
Guest Editor Assistant

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Keywords

  • blood pressure
  • endothelial function
  • arterial stiffness
  • aortic hemodynamics
  • blood flow
  • dietary nitrates
  • arginine
  • citrulline
  • nitric oxide
  • amino acids

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

10 pages, 1689 KiB  
Article
Combined Aerobic Exercise Training and Chlorella Intake Reduces Arterial Stiffness through Enhanced Arterial Nitric Oxide Production in Obese Rats
by Henry Yamazaki, Shumpei Fujie, Kenichiro Inoue, Masataka Uchida and Motoyuki Iemitsu
Nutrients 2024, 16(18), 3080; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu16183080 - 13 Sep 2024
Viewed by 1135
Abstract
This study aimed to assess the effect of a combination of aerobic exercise training (ET) and Chlorella (CH) intake on arterial nitric oxide (NO) production and arterial stiffness in obese rats. Twenty-week-old obese male rats were randomly grouped into four (n = [...] Read more.
This study aimed to assess the effect of a combination of aerobic exercise training (ET) and Chlorella (CH) intake on arterial nitric oxide (NO) production and arterial stiffness in obese rats. Twenty-week-old obese male rats were randomly grouped into four (n = 6): OBESE-SED (sedentary control), OBESE-ET (treadmill 25 m/min, 1 h, 5 d/week), OBESE-CH (0.5% Chlorella powder in normal diet), and OBESE-ET+CH (combination of ET and CH intake) groups. The carotid–femoral pulse wave velocity (cfPWV), an index of arterial stiffness, was significantly lesser in the OBESE-ET, OBESE-CH, and OBESE-ET+CH groups than in the OBESE-SED group, and in the OBESE-ET+CH group significantly further enhanced these effects compared with the OBESE-ET and OBESE-CH groups. Additionally, arterial nitrate/nitrite (NOx) levels were significantly greater in the OBESE-ET, OBESE-CH, and OBESE-ET+CH groups than in the OBESE-SED group, and the OBESE-ET+CH group compared with the OBESE-ET and OBESE-CH groups. Furthermore, arterial NOx levels were positively correlated with arterial endothelial NO synthase phosphorylation levels (r = 0.489, p < 0.05) and negatively correlated with cfPWV (r = −0.568, p < 0.05). In conclusion, a combination of ET and CH intake may reduce arterial stiffness via an enhancement of the arterial NO signaling pathway in obese rats. Full article
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