The Mediterranean diet decreases prothrombotic microvesicle release in asymptomatic individuals at high cardiovascular risk
Gemma Chiva-Blanch Clinical Nutrition Articles in Press E-mail Alert - February 28, 2020
Highlights
•Circulating microvesicles (MV) contribute to the atherothrombotic process.
•The effects of diet in cMV are largely unknown.
•The Mediterranean diet lowers cMV from platelets and cMV carrying tissue factor.
•The Mediterranean diet decreases proinflammatory cMV from activated cells.
•The Mediterranean diet lowers cell activation towards atherothrombosis.
Background and aims
Circulating microvesicles (cMV) are small phospholipid-rich vesicles that contribute to the atherothrombotic process, and are biomarkers of cardiovascular disease (CVD) burden and progression. Diet is a cornerstone for CVD prevention, but dietary effects on cMV shedding are poorly characterized. We aimed at assessing the long term effects of a Mediterranean diet compared to a low-fat diet (LFD) on MV shedding by cells of the blood and vascular compartments in patients at high cardiovascular risk treated as per guidelines.
Methods
A total of 155 participants from the PREDIMED trial free of cardiovascular events after a mean follow-up of 5 years (n=53 from the Mediterranean diet supplemented with extra-virgin olive oil –EVOO-; n=49 from the Mediterranean diet supplemented with mixed nuts –Nuts-; and n=53 from the LFD) were included in the study. At baseline and after one-year intervention, cMV were quantified and characterized by flow cytometry to identify their activated parental cell origin and prothrombotic potential by Annexin V (AV) binding.
Results
After one year of dietary intervention, platelet-derived PAC-1+/AV+ and CD62P+/AV+ cMV concentrations were lower in the Nuts group compared with the LFD and EVOO interventions (P= 0.036 and 0.003, respectively). In addition, prothrombotic cMV carrying tissue factor (CD142+/AV+) and CD11a+/AV+ cMV derived from activated cells, were significantly lower in both Mediterranean diet (EVOO and Nuts) interventions compared to one year of LFD (P <0.0001 and 0.028, respectively). SMAα+/AV- cMV were lower in the LFD compared to the Nuts group after one year of intervention (P= 0.038).
Conclusions
cMV are markers of cell activation and vascular injury that appear to be sensitive to dietary changes. Following a Mediterranean diet rich in EVOO or nuts is associated with lower cell activation towards a pro-atherothrombotic phenotype, suggesting a delay in the development of CV complications.