Background: Despite continuous research, an improved understanding of the pathophysiology of hypertension and the development of new antihypertensive therapies, hypertension is still the most prevalent chronic cardiovascular disease (CVD) among adults in Western societies. Stress is a common factor related to cardiovascular morbidity. An increase in blood pressure is one of the most common reactions to stress. Chronic and acute stress have also been related to cardiovascular disorders. Polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) have attracted considerable interest as potential complementary therapy for the treatment of CVD, including hypertension. Egg yolk, rich in PUFAs and phospholipids, might be a good source of phospholipids and PUFAs.

Objectives: The current study was aimed at investigating the potential effect of the phospholipid fraction of eggs on blood pressure changes in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRs) as a response to acute stress.

Material and methods: Male, 7-week-old SHRs received dietary phospholipid fraction for 12 weeks. The control animals received standard feed. At the end of the treatment, they were exposed to 40 min of white noise in order to induce acute stress. Then, blood pressure measurements were carried out under normal conditions for 12 h before and during the acute stress procedure. Blood pressure was measured by telemetry.

Results: Diastolic, systolic and mean blood pressure were significantly lower in the SHRs treated with phospholipid fraction than in the control group. The acute stressor caused a significant increase in diastolic, systolic and mean blood pressure in both the treated and untreated animals, but the increase in blood pressure as a response to the stressor was significantly less pronounced in the rats treated with phospholipid fraction than in control rats. These results show that egg phospholipids can limit a stress-induced rise in blood pressure.

Conclusions: The results of this research show that phospholipid fraction derived from egg yolk reduces stress-induced increases in blood pressure.