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Cerebral blood flow autoregulation protects brain tissue from blood pressure variations and maintains cerebral perfusion pressure by changes in vascular resistance. High salt (HS) diet impairs endothelium-dependent vasodilation in many vascular beds, including cerebral microcirculation, and may affect vascular resistance. The aim of present study was to determine if 7-day HS diet affected the reactivity of middle cerebral artery (MCA) to orthostatic challenge in healthy human individuals, and if autoregulatory mechanisms and sympathetic neural regulation were involved in this phenomenon. Twenty-seven persons participated in study (F:21, M:6, age range 19–24). Participants consumed 7-day low-salt (LS) diet (< 2.3 g kitchen salt/day) and afterwards 7-day HS diet (> 11.2 g kitchen salt/day). Blood and urine analysis and anthropometric measurements were performed after each diet. Arterial blood pressure, heart rate and heart rate variability, and cerebral and systemic hemodynamic parameters were recorded simultaneously with transcranial Doppler ultrasound and The Task Force® Monitor in response to orthostatic test. Participants remained normotensive during HS diet. Following both, the LS and HS dietary protocols, mean cerebral blood flow (CBF), as well as the velocity time integral and diastolic blood pressure decreased, and cerebral pulsatility index increased after rising up. Importantly, cerebrovascular resistance significantly increased in response to orthostasis only after HS diet. Urine concentration of noradrenaline and vanillylmandelic acid, baroreflex sensitivity (BRS), and sympathetic neural control was significantly decreased in HS diet. Results suggest that CBF in response to orthostatic test was preserved in HS condition due to altered vascular reactivity of MCA, with increased cerebrovascular resistance and blunted BRS and sympathetic activity.

Introduction: Present study aimed to evaluate the effects of enriched eggs consumption on microvascular reactivity and inflammation in healthy volunteers. We hypothesized that a three- week diet containing enriched eggs can stimulate anti-inflammatory conditions and enhance microvascular blood flow. Methods: This was a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled interventional study (part of ID: NCT04564690). Control group (n=14) consumed regular hen eggs (1.785 mg of vitamin E, 0.330 mg of lutein, 0.054 mg of selenium and 438 mg of n-3 PUFAs daily), while Nutri4 group (n=20) consumed enriched eggs (3.29 mg of vitamin E, 1.85 mg of lutein, 0.06 mg of selenium and 1026 mg of n-3 PUFAs daily), 3 eggs/day for 3 weeks. Forearm skin microvascular blood flow was assessed by laser Doppler Flowmetry. Serum concentrations of lipid mediators and cytokines and their genes’ expression profile were measured by spectrometry, ELISA, Luminex, and real-time qPCR respectively. Protein expression of COX1, COX2, iNOS, eNOS and nNOS was determined by Western blot. Statistical analysis: paired t-test with Tukey's post hoc test ; p

Bez hrane nema života, jer je živi organizam otvoreni sustav koji mora iz okoliša primati hranjive tvari da bi održavao svoj metabolizam. No kako i zašto biramo određenu hranu? Je li izbor hrane društveno ili biološki uvjetovan ako svima treba samo 5 osnovnih grupa hranjivih tvari za preživljenje?

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Rad prikazuje istraživanja o utjecaju konzumacije kuhinjske soli na mikrovaskularnu funkciju te javnozdravstvene napore da se unos soli smanji.

Svima je poznat pojam „comfort hood“ ili „hrana za ugodu“, odnosno hrana koja ima nostalgičnu vrijednost i za kojom se poseže u stanjima stresa ili tuge. Najčešće je riječ o hrani iz djetinjstva ili onoj koju povezujemo s „dobrim“ vremenima. No, ima li u tome i fiziologije i neurobiologije? Kakva je to hrana i zašto baš nju jedemo, čut ćete na ovom predavanju.

Thank You all the reviewers

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Objective: The connection between increased dietary salt intake and arterial hypertension has been recognized for a long time, even in children. This study aimed to investigate salt consumption in normotensive and hypertensive children and evaluate their dietary habits. Materials and Methods: A total of fifty participants were included in this cross-sectional study: twenty- five normotensive children and 25 children of both sexes with essential arterial hypertension from 12–17 years old. Subjects’ body mass index, waist-to-hip ratio, body composition and arterial blood pressure were measured, and their daily salt intake was calculated from 24-h urine samples. Using the food frequency questionnaire (FFQ), the data on the average daily total energy and food intakes were collected and analyzed using a suitable program. Results: Estimated daily salt intake was significantly higher in hypertensive compared to normotensive children, and this is positively associated with blood pressure and body mass index (BMI). Hypertensive children had significantly higher BMIs, which also positively correlated with blood pressure. Consistently, resting metabolic rate (kcal) is higher in hypertensive children compared to normotensive, and this is also associated with blood pressure. Reported energy intake is also enlarged in hypertensive compared to normotensive children and for both groups, levels are significantly higher than the recommended values. Conclusions: Our study results confirm the relationship between daily salt consumption, blood pressure and body weight. Sodium consumption related to blood pressure and body weight among children. Cardiovascular disease prevention should start in early childhood by reducing salt intake and preventing overweight/obesity since these are two of the most important modifiable risk factors for hypertension.

Introduction: As one of the main risk factors for development of cardiovascular diseases, high blood pressure is closely related to salt intake. The plasma sodium concentration in population averages between 134 and 148 mmol/l. Present study aimed to assess the effects of elevated NaCl concentration on oxidative stress in human aortic endothelial cells (HAEC). Methods: HAEC (Innoprot ; Barcelona, Spain) were grown at 37℃, 5% CO2 in Endothelial Cell Basal Medium (Medium 200) supplemented with low serum growth supplement (LSGS). The osmolality of Control medium was 270 mosmol/kg (133 mmol/l sodium). High NaCl medium was prepared by adding NaCl to the total osmolality of 320 mosmol/kg (158 mmol/l) and 350 mosmol/kg (173 mmol/l). During experiment, Control medium was replaced by the high NaCl medium. The experiments were performed on cells at about 80% confluence, at cells’ passage P5. Intracellular Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) production: The samples of the HAEC seeded in T-25 flasks were collected after 72-hour exposure to 270 mosmol/kg, 320 mosmol/kg and 350 mosmol/kg NaCl and prepared for staining protocol. The levels of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and peroxynitrite (ONOO-) were determined using Dichlorofluorescein diacetate (DCF-DA). The cells were resuspended in 100 µL of 1 PBS and incubated with DCF-DA (10 µM final concentration) for 30 min at +4°C. Following the incubation period, samples were resuspended in 350 µL of 1 PBS and analysed. Following the initial readings, 50 μL of 1 mM phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA) was added to each sample to stimulate ROS production. After 15- minute incubationthe samples were read on FACS Canto II flow cytometer (BD Bioscience ; 488 excitation laser and 530/30 BP analysis filter). Data analysis and visualization were performed using Flow Logic software (Inivai Technologies, Mentone, Australia). Results: The median fluorescence intensity of DCF- DA (marker of intracellular production of H2O2 and ONOO-) was significantly increased at 350 mosmol/kg (173 mmol/l) NaCl compared to Control. Conclusion: Increased NaCl concentration significantly increases endothelial cellular oxidative stress. Keywords: HAEC cells, NaCl, oxidative stress, Dichlorofluorescein diacetate (DCF-DA), high salt Acknowledgements: This study was supported under the Faculty of Medicine Osijek Institutional grant IP1-MEFOS-2019 (PI I. Drenjančević), IP1-MEFOS- 2020 (PI I. Drenjančević), IP3-MEFOS- 2021 project (PI I. Drenjančević), IP1-MEFOS- 2022 project (PI I. Drenjančević) and by European Structural and Investment Funds through a grant to the Croatian National Science Center of Excellence for Personalized Health Care, Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek # KK.01.1.1.01.0010. Thank to Cedars - Sinai Medical Center’s International Research and Innovation in Medicine Program, the Association for Regional Cooperation in the Fields of Health, Science and Technology (RECOOP HST Association) for their support of our organization as participating Cedars – Sinai Medical Center - RECOOP Research Centers (CRRC).

A numerous data confirmed that high salt (HS) diet had a deleterious effect on endothelium-dependent vascular reactivity, both in microcirculation and macrocirculation. HS diet physiologically suppresses renin-angiotensin system (RAS). Our results in middle cerebral arteries (MCA) of Sprague-Dawley rats on a HS diet have shown significantly impaired vasodilator responses to acetylcholine (AChID) and flow-induced dilation. The underlying mechanisms were increased vascular and systemic oxidative stress and decreased vascular production of NO, together with altered balance between vasoactive prostaglandins and eicosanoids, such as metabolites of COX1, 2 and epoxygenases. This was related to decreased expression of antioxidative defense systems. Scavenging of reactive oxygen species with TEMPOL restored NO production and vascular reactivity. Importantly, chronic low-dose ANG II supplementation in high salt fed rats restored FID of MCAs. ANG II changed the protein/gene expression of COXs, HIF-1α and VEGF and significantly increased GPx4 and EC-SOD antioxidative enzyme expression, decreased systemic oxidative stress, decreased superoxide/ROS levels and increased NO bioavailability in the vascular wall. Interestingly, similar was observed in our human studies: HS diet led to impaired peripheral microvascular and macrovascular reactivity in response to ACh and post-occlusive hyperemia. Plasma renin activity (PRA) and serum aldosterone level were significantly suppressed after HS diet and markers of oxidative stress were increased. Impaired AChID and increased salt intake, as well as impaired AChID and suppressed RAS were significantly positively correlated. Impaired vasorelaxation and increase in oxidative stress could have been prevented by concomitant intake of antioxidants together with HS diet. Furthermore, in healthy young humans on HS diet, cerebral blood flow in response to orthostatic test was preserved due to altered vascular reactivity of MCA, with increased cerebrovascular resistance and blunted baroreceptor sensitivity and sympathetic activity. Taken altogether, our results support conclusion that physiological levels of circulating ANG II are crucial to maintain the HIF-1α dependent mechanisms of endothelium-dependent vasodilation and vascular oxidative balance without affecting mean arterial pressure. Suppression of sympathetic activity during HS diet represents a physiological response. Funding: IP-MEFOS-2023 grant (PI_ Ines Drenjančević)

Introduction: Adhesion molecules play an important role in early-phase atherosclerotic changes since they are involved in the mediation of inflammatory cell recruitment as a response to stimuli such as stress following high-salt intake. Methods: Transgenic TFF3-/- knock-out mice (TFF3ko) (N=20) and wild-type mice (WT) (N=20), were each divided into (1) low-salt group (LS) and (2) high-salt group (HS). For one week (7 days), 10-week-old animals were fed with standard rodent chow (0.4% NaCl) (LS) or food containing 4% NaCl (HS). Whole blood samples and mesenteric lymph nodes (MLNs) were collected. C-reactive protein (CRP) was measured via Luminex assay from serum samples. Measurement of integrins expression was performed via flow cytometry. Results: There was a significant increase of CRP only in WT mice following the HS diet, while there were no changes in the TFF3ko group. CD49d/VLA-4 expression decreased on peripheral blood leukocytes (PBL) in both groups following the HS diet. CD11a/LFA-1 expression significantly increased only on peripheral blood Ly6C-CD11ahigh monocytes in WT mice following salt-loading. Discussion: HS diet activated PBLs leading to adhesion/migration only in the WT group due to increased LFA-1 expression which was a result of the interaction between genotype and treatment. A decrease in VLA-4 expression in both groups was a result of genotype or treatment alone. Conclusion: HS diet produced a lower level of inflammation in TFF3ko mice due to gene depletion.

Introduction: An excessive gestational weight gain (GWG) is recognized as a global health issue, because of its association with adverse pregnancy outcome. Since growing number of women living with overweight and obesity at conception, the Institute of Medicine has issued recommendations on the optimal GWG. The aim of the present study was to determine GWG in a cohort of healthy pregnant women, and to investigate its association with body composition components and total energy intake during pregnancy. Methods: This cross-sectional study involved 65 healthy pregnant women between 37 and 40 weeks of gestation. Subject’s GWG was calculated based on preconception and time of delivery weight. Resting metabolic rate (RMR), body composition and fluid status were measured using a bioimpedance analyzer. The EPIC-Norfolk food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) was used to obtain data on the average dietary intake. Goldberg cut-offs were used to evaluate reported energy intake at the individual level by FFQ. Results: Subjects' median GWG was 15 [4-32] kg, with 15.3% of subjects having low, 38.5% having optimal, and 46.2% having high GWG. Subjects' GWG positively correlated with fat mass. Reported total energy intake (EIrep) was below the RMR (p