Abstract
Histopathological changes in spontaneously hypertensive rats were studied after the animals had been fed Shiitake (Lentinus edodes) and Maitake (Grifola frondosa) mushroom powder diets, with 0.5% NaCl solution as drinking water for 9 weeks. Histological changes in control and Shiitake-fed rats were essentially the same, consisting of necrosis of the medial smooth muscle cells, vacuolization in the media of the aorta, fatty liver development, maceration in the myocardial muscle cells and vacuolization in the myocardium. In Maitake-fed animals large amounts of glycogen were observed in the liver, but the animals were otherwise normal in all respects. Dietary Maitake seems to play an important role in preventing the histological degenerative changes in SHR and thus may imply some benefits to be gained through blood pressure reduction and an improvement of lipid metabolism.
