ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is directly associated with increased aortic stiffness, reduced aortic elasticity, and aortic dissection, which are independent risk factors for cardiovascular death. Since Vit D and resveratrol have been reported due to their cardioprotective effects, in this study, we aim to evaluate the impact of Vit D and resveratrol treatment alone or in combination on the aortic health associated with trace element and mineral levels in a high-fructose diet/streptozotocin-induced T2DM model. METHODS: We investigated biomechanical changes of the aorta samples via a custom-built stretcher, where trace element and mineral levels in aorta samples were determined via inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) following acidic microwave digestion. RESULTS: Vitamin D treatment ameliorated the adverse effects of T2DM on aortic stiffness, aortic elasticity, and relaxation modulus in diabetic rats. Trace element and mineral levels correlated with cardiovascular homeostasis, including Fe, Cu, Zn, Se, and Na, have been regulated upon Vit D treatment in diabetic and healthy rats. On the other hand, resveratrol treatment alone or in combination with Vit D did not show any positive effects on biomechanical properties and trace element metabolism of diabetic or healthy rats, according to our data. CONCLUSION: Vit D can be used in T2DM patients to protect their cardiovascular health and should be considered a promising targeted therapy approach via nanoparticles to target cardiovascular diseases in the future.
