Partial Replacement of NaCl with KCl in Cooked Meat Could Reduce the Liver Damage Through Renin-Angiotensin System in Mice

ScopeDietary salt (sodium chloride, NaCl) is necessary for processed meat products, but intake of a high-sodium diet carries serious health risks. Considerable studies indicate that the partial substitution of NaCl with potassium chloride (KCl) can produce sodium-reduced cooked meat. However, most studies of sodium-reduced cooked meat focus on the production process in vitro, and the effect of cooked meat on health has not been well clarified in vivo.Methods and resultsThis study finds that compared to the high-sodium group (HS), serum renin, angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE), angiotensin (Ang) II, and the levels of some indicators of dyslipidemia are decreased in the reduced salt by partial substitution of NaCl with KCl group (RS + K). Furthermore, RS + K increases the antioxidation abilities, inhibits the renin-angiotensin system (RAS) through ACE/Ang II/Ang II type 1 receptor axis pathway, reduces synthesis of triglyceride and cholesterol and protein expressions of inflammatory factors interleukin-17A and nuclear factor-kappa B in the liver.ConclusionPartial substitution of NaCl with KCl in cooked meat can be a feasible approach for improving the health benefits and developing novel functional meat products for nutritional health interventions. The high-sodium cooked meat (3% NaCl, HS) induces dyslipidemia, oxidative stress, and inflammation through activating renin-angiotensin system (RAS) in vivo. The partial substitution of NaCl with KCl group (1.95% NaCl + 1.05% KCl, RS + K) can restore these phenotypes by inhibiting the RAS. Therefore, serum renin, angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE), angiotensin II, and the levels of some indicators of dyslipidemia are decreased in RS + K. ACE, angiotensin-converting enzyme; Ang, angiotensin; AT1R, Ang II type 1 receptor axis. image