Preventive effects of nutritional doses of polyphenolic molecules on cardiac fibrosis associated with metabolic syndrome: involvement of osteopontin and oxidative stress.

We previously showed that grape extracts enriched in different polyphenolic families were similarly able to prevent reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, although having differential effects on various features of metabolic syndrome when administered at a dose of 21 mg/kg to the fructose (60%)-fed rat (a model of metabolic syndrome). In the present work, we analyzed on the same model the effect of pure polyphenolic molecules (catechin, resveratrol, delphinidin, and gallic acid) administered at a dose of 2.1 mg/kg. Delphinidin and gallic acid prevented insulin resistance, while gallic acid prevented the elevation of blood pressure. All molecules prevented cardiac ROS overproduction and NADPH overexpression. We also showed that fructose feeding was associated with cardiac fibrosis (accumulation of collagen I) and expression of osteopontin, a factor induced by ROS and a collagen I expression inducer. Collagen I and osteopontin expressions were prevented by the administration of all polyphenolic molecules. The potential use of polyphenols in the prevention of cardiac fibrosis should be further explored.