Dietary chlorogenic acid ameliorates oxidative stress and improves endothelial function in diabetic mice via Nrf2 activation.

Objective: Chlorogenic acid (CGA) is an antioxidant dietary factor. We investigated the effects of CGA on endothelial cell dysfunction in diabetic mice and the mechanistic role of nuclear factor erythroid-related factor 2 (Nrf2) in the antioxidant effect of CGA.

Methods: Diabetic (db/db) mice were fed normal chow or chow containing 0.02% CGA for 12 weeks. Human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) and mouse aortas were treated with normal or high glucose.

Results: CGA treatment induced upregulation of Nrf2 in HUVECs in a dose-dependent manner. CGA pretreatment prevented reactive oxygen species generation and preserved nitric oxide bioavailability in HUVECs and aortas from wild-type but not Nrf2-/- mice. CGA improved endothelium-dependent relaxation in high glucose-treated aortas from wild-type and db/db mice, but not Nrf2-/- mice. Dietary CGA improved endothelium-dependent relaxation in db/db mice.

Conclusions: CGA ameliorates endothelial dysfunction in diabetic mice through activation of the Nrf2 anti-oxidative pathway.