Oxidative Modification of LDL and Atherogenesis. In: Gotto AM, Lenfant C, Paoletti R, Catapano AL, Jackson AS, editors. Multiple Risk Factors in Cardiovascular Disease. Dordrecht: Springer Netherlands; 1998. pp. 141-7. [DOI: 10.1007/978-94-011-5022-4_16]

Almonds vs. carbohydrate snacks in an energy-restricted diet: Weight and cardiometabolic outcomes from a randomized trial

OBJECTIVE

This study evaluated weight and cardiometabolic outcomes after a 3-month energy-restricted diet (-30%) containing almonds (almond-enriched diet [AED]) or containing carbohydrate-rich snacks (nut-free control diet [NFD]) (Phase 1), followed by 6 months of weight maintenance (Phase 2).

METHODS

Participants (25-65 years old) with overweight or obesity (BMI 27.5-34.9 kg/m2 ) were randomly allocated to AED (n = 68) or NFD (n = 72).

RESULTS

Both groups lost weight during Phase 1 (p < 0.001) (mean [SE], -7.0 [0.5] kg AED vs. -7.0 [0.5] kg NFD, p = 0.858) and Phase 2 (p = 0.009) (-1.1 [0.5] kg AED vs. -1.3 [0.6] NFD, p = 0.756), with improvements in percentage lean mass after Phase 2 (4.8% [0.3%], p < 0.001). Reductions occurred in fasting glucose (-0.2 [0.07] mmol/L, p = 0.003), insulin (-8.1 [4.0] pmol/L, p = 0.036), blood pressure (-4.9 [0.8] mm Hg systolic, -5.0 [0.5] mm Hg diastolic, p < 0.001), total cholesterol (-0.3 [0.1] mmol/L), low-density lipoprotein (LDL) (-0.2 [0.1] mmol/L), very low-density lipoprotein (-0.1 [0.03] mmol/L), and triglycerides (-0.3 [0.06] mmol/L) (all p < 0.001), and high-density lipoprotein increased (0.1 [0.02] mmol/L, p = 0.011) by the end of Phase 2 in both groups. There were group by time interactions for lipoprotein particle concentrations: very small triglyceride-rich (-31.0 [7.7] nmol/L AED vs. -4.8 [7.9] nmol/L NFD, p = 0.007), small LDL (-109.3 [40.5] nmol/L AED vs. -20.7 [41.6] nmol/L NFD, p = 0.017), and medium LDL (-24.4 [43.4] nmol/L AED vs. -130.5 [44.4] nmol/L NFD, p = 0.045).

CONCLUSIONS

An energy-restricted AED resulted in weight loss and weight loss maintenance comparable to an energy-restricted NFD, and both diets supported cardiometabolic health. The AED resulted in greater improvements in some lipoprotein subfractions, which may enhance reductions in cardiovascular risk.

Vitamin E and Selenium Reduce Prednisolone Side Effects in Rat Hearts

Aim of this work was to determine the effects of dietary intake vitamin E and Se on lipid peroxidation (LPO) as Thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) and on the antioxidative defense mechanisms in heart tissues of rats treated with high doses of prednisolone. 250 adult male Wistar rats were randomly divided into 5 groups and fed with normal diet. Additionally groups 3, 4, and 5 received a daily supplement in their drinking water of 20 mg vitamin E, 0.3 mg Se, and a combination of vitamin E and Se (20 mg/ 0.3 mg), respectively, for 30 days. For 3 d subsequently, control group was treated with placebo, and remaining four groups were injected intramuscularly with 100 mg/kg prednisolone. After last administration of prednisolone, 10 rats from each group were killed at 4, 8, 12, 24, and 48 h and the activities of antioxidant enzymes and the levels of GSH and TBARS were measured. GSH-Px, CAT activities and GSH levels decreased starting from 4th hour to 48% and 65% of control levels by 24th hour, respectively and it reincreased to control levels at 48th hour in the prednisolone group (p < 0.001, p < 0.001). In addition, prednisolone administration led 2-fold increase in heart TBARS levels at 24th hour (p < 0.001). E vitamins and Se inhibited the increase in heart TBARS and the decrease in antioxidative enzymes levels. Therefore, It is concluded that vitamin E and Se may have a preventive role in decreasing the increase of TBARS caused by prednisolone administration in our study.

Lipid bilayer membrane affinity rationalizes inhibition of lipid peroxidation by a natural lignan antioxidant

Lipid peroxidation is a degenerative oxidative process that modifies the structure of membranes, influencing their biological functions. Lignans, natural polyphenolic antioxidants widely distributed in plants, can prevent this membrane damage by free-radical scavenging. Here, we rationalize the difference in lipid peroxidation inhibition activity of argenteane, a natural dilignan isolated from wild nutmeg, and 3,3'-dimethoxy-1,1'-biphenyl-2,2'-diol, which represents the central part of argenteane responsible for its antioxidant activity. Although both compounds have the same capacity to scavenge free radicals, argenteane is a more active inhibitor of lipid peroxidation. We show that both compounds penetrate into DOPC and PLPC lipid bilayers and adopt similar positions and orientations, which therefore does not explain the difference in their lipid peroxidation inhibition activity. However, free energy profiles indicate that argenteane has a significantly higher affinity to the lipid bilayer, and thus a higher effective concentration to scavenge radicals formed during lipid peroxidation. This finding explains the higher activity of argenteane to inhibit lipid peroxidation.

Feasibility of using biomarkers in blood serum as markers of effect following exposure of the lungs to particulate matter air pollution

Particulate matter (PM) air pollution has significant cardiopulmonary health effects. Serum biomarkers may elucidate the disease mechanisms involved and provide a means for biomonitoring exposed populations, thereby enabling accurate policy decisions on air quality standards to be made. For this review, research investigating association of blood serum biomarkers and exposure to PM was identified, finding 26 different biomarkers that were significantly associated with exposure. Recent evidence links different effects to different components of PM. Future research on biomarkers of effect will need to address exposure by all PM size fractions.