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Here we investigated the effects of chronic treated with resveratrol, a polyphenol (3,4',5-trihydroxystilbene) found in more than 70 plant species and food products such as red grapes, berries and peanuts, or N-PEP-12, a mix of peptides, on arteries in aging rats. Aging rats have shown endothelial dysfunction. Aged Sprague-Dawley rats (18 months old) were treated with resveratrol (20 mg/kg/day by gavage) or N-PEP-12 (60 mg/kg/day by gavage) for 10 weeks. 24 hours after the last administration of resveratrol or N-PEP-12, the animals were weighed and diastolic and systolic blood pressure was measured by tail-cuff plethysmography. Thoracic and abdominal aorta artery segments were obtained from resveratrol-, N-PEP-12-and vehicle-treated rats and were mounted in isometric tension for isolated vessels. We found that resveratrol and N-PEP-12 improved acetylcholine-induced relaxation in the old animals. These results suggest that chronic administration of resveratrol or N-PEP-12 may in part reduce endothelial dysfunction in the aging.

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