Dietary Potassium Downregulates Angiotensin-I Converting Enzyme, Renin, and Angiotensin Converting Enzyme 2

Association between Dietary Potassium Intake and Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease and Advanced Hepatic Fibrosis in U.S. Adults

Introduction

The correlation between potassium and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is currently still poorly understood. We conducted this study to explore the correlation between dietary potassium intake and NAFLD, as well as advanced hepatic fibrosis (AHF). The study also sought to identify any potential interactions.

Methods

The data employed in this study were obtained from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) program, encompassing a period from 2007 to 2018. Employing the multiple logistic regression analysis, we evaluated the association of dietary potassium intake with NAFLD and AHF. Subsequently, stratification analysis, based on demographic variables, was constructed so as to assess the stability of the results. In addition, potential interaction effects were assessed by interaction tests.

Results

A total of 9443 participants were included in the analysis. The mean age of the participants was 50.4 years, and their daily mean dietary potassium and vitamin C intake was 2556.49 mg and 82.93 mg, respectively. Following comprehensive statistical analyses, the findings indicated a negative correlation between dietary potassium intake and both NAFLD and AHF. Participants in Q4 group with dietary potassium intake exhibited a 31% and 42% reduction in the odds of developing NAFLD and AHF, respectively, in comparison to Q1 group. An interaction effect of dietary vitamin C intake was observed in the association between dietary potassium intake and NAFLD. The results imply that high dietary vitamin C intake augment the inverse relationship between dietary potassium intake and NAFLD.

Conclusion

Dietary potassium intake was found to have an inverse association with the odds of both NAFLD and AHF. The association between dietary potassium intake and NAFLD was amplified by the presence of vitamin C in the diet.

Partial Replacement of NaCl with KCl in Cooked Meat Could Reduce the Liver Damage Through Renin-Angiotensin System in Mice

SCOPE

Dietary salt (sodium chloride, NaCl) is necessary for processed meat products, but intake of a high-sodium diet carries serious health risks. Considerable studies indicate that the partial substitution of NaCl with potassium chloride (KCl) can produce sodium-reduced cooked meat. However, most studies of sodium-reduced cooked meat focus on the production process in vitro, and the effect of cooked meat on health has not been well clarified in vivo.

METHODS AND RESULTS

This study finds that compared to the high-sodium group (HS), serum renin, angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE), angiotensin (Ang) II, and the levels of some indicators of dyslipidemia are decreased in the reduced salt by partial substitution of NaCl with KCl group (RS + K). Furthermore, RS + K increases the antioxidation abilities, inhibits the renin-angiotensin system (RAS) through ACE/Ang II/Ang II type 1 receptor axis pathway, reduces synthesis of triglyceride and cholesterol and protein expressions of inflammatory factors interleukin-17A and nuclear factor-kappa B in the liver.

CONCLUSION

Partial substitution of NaCl with KCl in cooked meat can be a feasible approach for improving the health benefits and developing novel functional meat products for nutritional health interventions.

Genetic diet interactions of ACE: the increased hypertension predisposition in the Latin American population

Hypertension is one of the primary risk factors associated with cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). It is a condition that affects people worldwide, and its prevalence is increasing due to several factors, such as lack of physical activity, population aging, and unhealthy diets. Notably, this increase has primarily occurred in low and middle-income countries (LMICs). In Latin America, approximately 40% of adults have been diagnosed with hypertension. Moreover, reports have shown that the Latin American genetic composition is highly diverse, and this genetic background can influence various biological processes, including disease predisposition and treatment effectiveness. Research has shown that Western dietary patterns, which include increased consumption of red meat, refined grains, sugar, and ultra-processed food, have spread across the globe, including Latin America, due to globalization processes. Furthermore, a higher than recommended sodium consumption, which has been associated with hypertension, has been identified across different regions, including Asia, Europe, America, Oceania, and Africa. In conclusion, hypertension is a multifactorial disease involving environmental and genetic factors. In Latin America, hypertension prevalence is increasing due to various factors, including age, the adoption of a "Westernized" diet, and potential genetic predisposition factors involving the ACE gene. Furthermore, identifying the genetic and molecular mechanisms of the disease, its association with diet, and how they interact is essential for the development of personalized treatments to increase its efficacy and reduce side effects.

Effects of enriched-potassium diet on cardiorespiratory outcomes in experimental non-ischemic chronic heart failure

Background

Chronic heart failure (CHF) is a global health problem. Increased sympathetic outflow, cardiac arrhythmogenesis and irregular breathing patterns have all been associated with poor outcomes in CHF. Several studies showed that activation of the renin-angiotensin system (RAS) play a key role in CHF pathophysiology. Interestingly, potassium (K⁺) supplemented diets showed promising results in normalizing RAS axis and autonomic dysfunction in vascular diseases, lowering cardiovascular risk. Whether subtle increases in dietary K⁺ consumption may exert similar effects in CHF has not been previously tested. Accordingly, we aimed to evaluate the effects of dietary K⁺ supplementation on cardiorespiratory alterations in rats with CHF.

Methods

Adult male Sprague–Dawley rats underwent volume overload to induce non-ischemic CHF. Animals were randomly allocated to normal chow diet (CHF group) or supplemented K⁺ diet (CHF+K⁺ group) for 6 weeks. Cardiac arrhythmogenesis, sympathetic outflow, baroreflex sensitivity, breathing disorders, chemoreflex function, respiratory–cardiovascular coupling and cardiac function were evaluated.

Results

Compared to normal chow diet, K⁺ supplemented diet in CHF significantly reduced arrhythmia incidence (67.8 ± 15.1 vs. 31.0 ± 3.7 events/hour, CHF vs. CHF+K⁺), decreased cardiac sympathetic tone (ΔHR to propranolol: − 97.4 ± 9.4 vs. − 60.8 ± 8.3 bpm, CHF vs. CHF+K⁺), restored baroreflex function and attenuated irregular breathing patterns. Additionally, supplementation of the diet with K⁺ restores normal central respiratory chemoreflex drive and abrogates pathological cardio-respiratory coupling in CHF rats being the outcome an improved cardiac function.

Conclusion

Our findings support that dietary K⁺ supplementation in non-ischemic CHF alleviate cardiorespiratory dysfunction.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s40659-021-00365-z.