Aging-related endothelial dysfunction and vascular oxidative stress affect early arterial sites at risk. Anthocyanins uptake via sodium-glucose co-transporter 1 (SGLT1) are potent inducers of endothelial formation of nitric oxide (NO).

This study examined if anthocyanin-rich blackcurrant (ARB) improves the endothelial function in old rats.

Male Wistar rats (22-month old) received ARB (60 and 120mg/kg/d) orally for 2 weeks. Systolic blood pressure (SBP) was assessed by tail-cuff sphygmomanometry, vascular reactivity using organ chambers, protein expression by immunofluorescence, oxidative stress using dihydroethidium, and anthocyanin uptake by Neu reagent.

Old rats showed increased SBP, abolished endothelium-dependent hyperpolarization-mediated relaxation and increased contractile response to phenylephrine in the mesenteric artery, which were improved by ARB. Old aorta showed increased oxidative stress and expression levels of eNOS, which were improved by ARB. SGLT1 immunofluorescence predominantly in the endothelium was more pronounced in the aortic arch than the aorta and higher in old than young rats, whereas the SGLT2 signal was low. The ARB treatment induced a dose-dependent accumulation of anthocyanins in the aorta and aortic arch. An ARB purified extract promoted ex vivo greater anthocyanins uptake mostly in the endothelium in the aortic arch than aorta, and in old compared to young rats. The anthocyanins uptake was inhibited to a greater extent by a dual SGLT1/2 inhibitor than by a selective SGLT2 inhibitor in the aorta of young and old rats. Both SGLT inhibitors reduced also ex vivo the age-related vascular oxidative stress.

The upregulation of SGLT1, and the greater SGLT1 and SGLT2-mediated uptake of anthocyanins predominantly in the endothelium at arterial sites at risk in old rats suggest that anthocyanins appear as interesting natural products to protect the endothelial function with increasing age.