Caloric restriction slows disease progression and ameliorates hypertension in an experimental model of Systemic Lupus Erythrematosus 4188

Abstract Description SLE is a chronic autoimmune disorder characterized by high risk for hypertension and cardiovascular disease. Evidence suggests that dietary interventions have profound effects on autoimmune disease activity, including decreasing autoantibodies and improving renal injury in murine SLE models. However, the impact of caloric restriction on hypertension is unknown. Thus, this study tested the hypothesis that caloric restriction lowers blood pressure in SLE via an improvement in disease activity in a hypertensive mouse model of SLE, the NZBWF1 mouse. Mice were randomly assigned to the following groups (n = 8-12 mice/group): Control-ad lib, Control-30% caloric restriction (CR) SLE-ad lib, SLE-CR. EchoMRI body composition analyses revealed a significant reduction in fat mass in SLE-CR mice compared to SLE-ad lib (SLE-ad lib: 11.37±2.3 g vs. SLE-CR: 0.79±0.3 g, p?.0001). The urinary albumin excretion rate indicated that CR significantly lowered urinary albumin excretion in the SLE-CR group and the SLE-ad lib group (SLE-ad lib: 218±70 µg/day vs. SLE-CR 48±10 µg/day p = 0.0220). At the conclusion of the study, blood pressure was measured chronically using carotid artery catheter and showed that SLE mice who underwent caloric restriction had lower blood pressure (SLE-ad lib: 148.2±9.0 vs. SLE-CR: 132.4±3.5 mmHg, p = 0.1347). Taken together, these data suggest that CR has a beneficial impact on SLE disease activity, including decreasing renal injury and lowering blood pressure. Funding Sources Supported by NHLBI 5T32HL105324; NHLBI R00 HL146888; NHLBI U54HL169191; NIGMS P20GM104357; P30GM149404 Topic Categories Therapeutic Approaches to Autoimmunity (THER)