Is the prothrombotic state associated with obesity-induced hypertension reduced by cocoa and its main flavanols?
Our results showed that cocoa and its main flavanols may improve endothelial dysfunction and exert their antihypertensive effects by decreasing the prothrombotic state in rats fed a hypercaloric diet. Moreover, improvement of obesity-related metabolic disorders may also contribute to their BP-lowering effect.
We discovered an unexpected function of NF-κB, in that it potentiates chronic H(2)O(2) exposure induced cell death, and suggest that NF-κB mediates cell death through the repression of pro-survival genes and induction of pro-death genes. Since unremitting exposure of tissues to H(2)O(2) and other reactive oxygen species can lead to several degenerative disorders and diseases, our results have important implications for the use of NF-κB inhibitors in therapeutic drug design.