Biology Reference
In-Depth Information
Pomegranate juice, one of the richest food products in ETs (Gil
et
al.
, 2000), exerted some protection against cardiovascular diseases by
diminishing the effect of risk factors for atherosclerosis, such as
hypertension, platelet aggregation, blood lipid profiles and oxidative
stress (Aviram
et al.
, 2000, Fuhrman and Aviram, 2006). Pomegranate
juice supplementation for three years to patients with carotid artery
stenosis (CAS) led to decreased atherosclerotic lesion size. The authors
attributed these effects to the potent antioxidant characteristics of
pomegranate juice (Aviram
et al.
, 2002 and 2004). Pomegranate juice
consumption also reduced the systolic blood pressure of CAS patients
after one-year intake. In contrast, no significant effect on the patient's
diastolic blood pressure was observed. The serum angiotensin converting
enzyme (ACE) activity was also significantly decreased after
pomegranate juice intake (Aviran and Dornfeld, 2001). The authors
suggest that this effect may be secondary to the ability of pomegranate
juice antioxidants, such as complex ETs, to inhibit ACE activity.
Because ACE inhibitors are metabolized by cytochrome P-450 enzymes,
serum ACE activity can be significantly affected by modulation of P-450
enzyme activity. It has also been demonstrated that pomegranate juice
decreased the activity of different cytochrome P-450 enzymes by 20-
60% (Aviram
et al.
, 1999, Hidaka
et al.
, 2005). In hypertensive patients
treated with ACE inhibitors, the inhibitory effect of pomegranate juice
consumption on cytochrome P-450 enzymes can possibly decrease P-
450-mediated drug (ACE inhibitor) metabolism and hence, serum ACE
activity may be further decreased in these treated patients. The authors
stated that, as ACE activity is related to enhanced blood pressure and
accelerated atherosclerosis, their data may suggest an additional
important anti-atherogenic property of pomegranate juice consumption.
However, a recent publication has reported the association of
rhabdomyolysis with pomegranate juice consumption, due to the
cytochrome P-450 inhibition of pomegranate juice (Sorokin
et al.
, 2006).
This report suggests that, as pomegranate juice inhibits intestinal
cytochrome P-450 enzymes, they can alter statin metabolism increasing
its absorption.
Circulating human platelets play an important role in the
development of atherosclerosis, and increased platelet aggregation is
