Influence of dietary nitrate on vascular dysfunction and inflammation
Research type
Research Study
Full title
An investigation into the effect of dietary nitrate on a model of vascular dysfunction in healthy volunteers
IRAS ID
149064
Contact name
Amrita Ahluwalia
Contact email
Duration of Study in the UK
2 years, 0 months, 1 days
Research summary
We have previously published work demonstrating that inorganic nitrate can protect blood vessels from the damage that occurs when blood flow through that vessel is blocked. We now wish to study the mechanisms involved in how nitrate protects the blood vessel more closely. Our own recent evidence in pre-clinical models suggest that nitrate-induced improvements in vascular function relate to a suppression of inflammatory pathways. We now wish to study whether this might also be the case in humans using an experimental model of inflammation-induced blood vessel dysfunction that has been well validated in humans. We will use a typhoid-vaccine (using clinical-grade typhoid vaccine, as used for routine vaccination to typhoid-endemic areas) induced model of vascular dysfunction and systemic inflammation in healthy volunteers. Inorganic nitrate can be safely administered to humans through the use of foodstuffs that are rich in inorganic nitrate and we wish to compare the effects of dietary nitrate through provision of beetroot juice and compare the effects with inorganic nitrate salt supplementation. The study is in two parts:
Part 1. To determine whether inorganic nitrate in the form of potassium nitrate supplementation compared to placebo capsules (potassium chloride) can raise circulating plasma [NO2-] levels and thereby prevent the systemic inflammation that underlies typhoid vaccine-induced vascular dysfunction.
Part 2. to determine whether inorganic nitrate in the form of beetroot juice or placebo juice (nitrate-depleted) can raise circulating plasma [NO2-] levels and can raise circulating plasma [NO2-] levels and thereby prevent the systemic inflammation that underlies typhoid vaccine-induced vascular dysfunction.The study is being undertaken at Queen Mary University London within the William Harvey Heart Centre Clinical Trials Unit and the Centre of Clinical Pharmacology in Charterhouse Square, London EC1M 6BQ.
REC name
London - Bromley Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
15/LO/0789
Date of REC Opinion
23 Jun 2015
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion