Uric acid is a key player in salt-induced endothelial dysfunction: the therapeutic role of Stigma maydis (corn silk) extract.

Hyperuricemia has been implicated in the pathogenesis and complications of cardiovascular diseases with associated elevated oxidant events. There is evidence that excessive salt intake results in cardiometabolic disturbances but the mechanism is elusive. Also, Stigma maydis (corn silk) is noted for its antioxidant properties among other beneficial roles. This study, therefore, aimed to establish the effect of high-salt diet (SD) on uric acid (UA) production and the role of S. maydis in salt-induced phenotypes. Four groups of randomly selected rats (n = 5) were fed with normal rat feed, corn silk extract (500 mg/kg), SD (8%) and corn silk extract plus high-salt feed. After 6 weeks of the experimental procedure, each animal was anesthetized by exposure to chloroform vapor and blood samples collected by cardiac puncture. Data were expressed in means ± SEM and p values <0.05 were accepted as significant. SD resulted in reduced plasma superoxide dismutase (SOD), nitric oxide (NO), and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) but not endothelial nitric oxide synthase. Also, plasma UA and vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1) increased in the SD group compared with control. However, S. maydis extract in the SD-exposed group increased NO and GPx and not SOD. Also, S. maydis extract attenuated UA and VCAM-1. In conclusion, high-salt intake may initiate deleterious cardiovascular events through UA-dependent mechanism and S. maydis extract has therapeutic potential in high-salt-induced oxidative damage and/or UA-dependent endothelial pathologies.