Bile Acid Metabolism Analysis Insight into the Vascular Endothelial Injury in High Salt-Induced Hypertensive Rats

Abstract Background: High salt diet has become one of the leading risk factors for cardiovascular diseases worldwide. There is already research to prove that excessive salt intake can cause hypertension and endothelial damage. However, the potential mechanism requires further exploration. In the present study, we aimed to reveal the bile acid metabolism in high-salt-induced vascular endothelial injury in rats. Methods: A high-salt diet (HSD) induced rats model was established by evaluating the levels of blood pressure and vascular endothelial injury factors. Bile acid metabolism analysis was performed to identify differential bile acids between the normal group and the HSD group. Correlation analysis further detected the relevance between vascular endothelial injury factors and bile acids. Results: The results reflected that HSD can cause disorders in bile acid metabolism. 10 potential bile acids in plasma were found to be involved in the effects of high salt on vascular endothelium. Further correlation analysis indicated that endothelin-1 (ET-1) has a negative correlation with glycocholic acid, and nitric oxide (NO) has a positive correlation with ursocholic acid. Conclusion: This study identified which bile acids associated with high-salt-induced vascular endothelial injury, and provided a new idea for the prevention and treatment of high salt-induced cardiovascular diseases.