Inhibitory effect of deep ocean water on mild hypertension in KHC rabbits

Abstract

We investigated effect of deep ocean water on hemodynamics in Kurosawa and Kusanagi-Hypercholesterolemic (KHC) rabbits. The refined deep ocean water (RDOW) at a degree of hardness of 1,000 was freely accessed to the KHC rabbits aged 4 months old for 6 months. Aortic pressure and flow waves were simultaneously recorded under pentobarbital anesthesia. There were no significant differences in body weight and food and water intakes. Systolic, diastolic, mean and pulse pressures, augmentation index of pressure waves and total peripheral vascular resistance were significantly lower in the RDOW group than in the control group, whereas no significant differences were observed in mean aortic flow and total percent lesioned area of the aorta between the two groups. Though serum lipid levels, plasma renin and ACE activities and angiotensin 1 and 2 levels tended to decrease after the feeding of RDOW in the two groups, the difference in these parameters before and after the feeding of RDOW was almost the same between the two groups. Serum electrolyte levels except Mg²⁺ changed little during the intake of RDOW. We can conclude that RDOW improved mild hypertension in KHC rabbits, which might be partly related to the slight but significant increase in serum Mg²⁺ due to the intake of RDOW. [J Physiol Sci. 2006;56 Suppl:S134]