Effect of an avocado oil-rich diet over an angiotensin II-induced blood pressure response

We studied the effect of an avocado oil-rich diet on (1) the blood pressure response to angiotensin II (AngII) and (2) the fatty acid composition of cardiac and renal membranes on male Wistar rats. The avocado oil-rich diet induced a slightly higher AngII-induced blood pressure response in the rats as compared to the control rats. In cardiac microsomes, avocado oil induced an increase in oleic acid content (13.18 ± 0.33% versus 15.46 ± 0.59%), while in renal microsomes, the oil decreased α-linolenic acid content (0.34 ± 0.02% versus 0.16 ± 0.12%), but increased the arachidonic acid proportion (24.02 ± 0.54% versus 26.25 ± 0.54%), compared to control. In conclusion, avocado oil-rich diet modifies the fatty acid content in cardiac and renal membranes in a tissue-specific manner. The rise in renal arachidonic acid suggests that diet content can be a key factor in vascular responses.