Flaxseed prevents leukocyte and platelet adhesion to endothelial cells in experimental atherosclerosis by reducing sVCAM-1 and vWF

Herbal Approach for Management of Atherosclerosis: a Review

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

Summarize of the reports on antioxidants especially from herbal sources which battle oxidative stress might be proficient to forestall and repair the free radical-prompted vascular damages in overseeing of atherosclerosis.

RECENT FINDINGS

Atherosclerosis is the one of the fundamental reason for hypertension, stroke, myocardial localized necrosis, and numerous other cardiovascular illnesses. Atherosclerosis associated path physiological factors like hypercholesterolemia, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and smoking actuates oxidative stress which are characterized by excessive oxidation and improper exclusion. The herbal plant-based antioxidant agents are effective towards the management/treatment of atherosclerosis by different ways like, by diminishing the oxidation of low-density lipoproteins, diminishing the cell proliferation, restraining the foam cell arrangement, and advancing the reverse cholesterol transport, down regulation of pro-atherogenic genes, and inflammatory mediators. This review is a critical analysis about the role of oxidative stress in atherogenesis and furthermore outlines the ongoing study/examination done on the management of atherosclerosis by utilizing herbal antioxidant agents.

Can the indicators of chronic ethanol consumption be minimized by a continuous flaxseed intake?

The aim of this study was to evaluate the use of flaxseed in animals subjected to ethanol-induced hepatotoxicity. Twenty-four male rats were divided into four groups (n = 6): control group (CG) which received a control diet and water ad libitum; flaxseed group (FG) which received control diet with an addition of 25% flaxseed flour and water ad libitum; ethanol control group (ECG) which received control diet and a solution of 10% ethanol (v/v) as the only liquid source; and ethanol flaxseed group (EFG) which received control diet with an addition of 25% flaxseed flour and a solution of 10% ethanol (v/v) as the only liquid source. The animals were euthanized at 60 days, when blood was collected for biochemical analysis and liver was collected for histomorphometric analysis. Rats fed with diets containing flaxseed showed lower values of alkaline phosphatase (P = 0.020) and lower concentration of total bilirubin (P = 0.006), direct bilirubin (P = 0.013) and indirect bilirubin (P = 0.018) compared to ECG and EFG. The groups receiving flaxseed diets demonstrated higher expression of superoxide dismutase (SOD) enzyme (P < 0.001) than CG and ECG but did not affect thiobarbituric acid (TBARS) expression (P = 0.055). Regarding liver analysis, the ECG and EFG showed larger hepatocyte nuclei and paler cytoplasm than the groups who had not received ethanol, and less in fluid accumulation (oedema) in the cytoplasm than was seen in the FG and EFG livers. These latter two groups showed fewer fatty cells than was seen in the groups that had not been given flaxseed, so that the diagnosis of hepatic steatosis was not justified. In conclusion, therefore, this study showed that the indicators of ethanol chronic consumption can be reduced by the introduction of continuous flaxseed dietary intake.

Flaxseed: its bioactive components and their cardiovascular benefits

Cardiovascular disease remains the leading cause of mortality and morbidity worldwide. The inclusion of functional foods and natural health products in the diet are gaining increasing recognition as integral components of lifestyle changes in the fight against cardiovascular disease. Several preclinical and clinical studies have shown the beneficial cardiovascular effects of dietary supplementation with flaxseed. The cardiovascular effects of dietary flaxseed have included an antihypertensive action, antiatherogenic effects, a lowering of cholesterol, an anti-inflammatory action, and an inhibition of arrhythmias. Its enrichment in the ω-3 fatty acid α-linolenic acid and the antioxidant lignan secoisolariciresinol diglucoside as well as its high fiber content have been implicated primarily in these beneficial cardiovascular actions. Although not as well recognized, flaxseed is also composed of other potential bioactive compounds such as proteins, cyclolinopeptides, and cyanogenic glycosides, which may also produce biological actions. These compounds could also be responsible for the cardiovascular effects of flaxseed. This article will not only summarize the cardiovascular effects of dietary supplementation with flaxseed but also review its bioactive compounds in terms of their properties, biological effects, and proposed mechanisms of action. It will also discuss promising research directions for the future to identify additional health-related benefits of dietary flaxseed.

Herbal Medications in Cardiovascular Medicine

Herbal medications are commonly used for clinical purposes, including the treatment of cardiovascular conditions. Compared with conventional medications, herbal medications do not require clinical studies before their marketing or formal approval from regulatory agencies, and for this reason their efficacy and safety are rarely proven. In this review, we summarize available evidence on herbal medications mostly used in cardiovascular medicine. We show that the use of these medications for the treatment of cardiovascular diseases is often not supported by scientific evidence. Despite most of these herbs showing an effect on biological mechanisms related to the cardiovascular system, data on their clinical effects are lacking. Potential relevant side effects, including increased risk of drug interactions, are described, and the possibility of contamination or substitution with other medications represents a concern. Physicians should always assess the use of herbal medications with patients and discuss the possible benefits and side effects with them.

Increased Soluble VCAM-1 and Normal P-Selectin in Cystic Fibrosis: a Cross-Sectional Study

Purpose

As life expectancy in cystic fibrosis (CF) increases, questions regarding its potential impact on cardiovascular health arise. Soluble vascular cell adhesion molecule 1 (sVCAM-1), P-selectin (sP-selectin) are proposed as biomarkers of cardiovascular disease. We aimed to: compare their concentrations in clinically stable CF patients and healthy subjects (HS) and verify whether they independently correlate with CF characteristics.

Methods

Serum sVCAM-1 and sP-selectin levels were measured using ELISA. CF was characterized using: forced expiratory volume in 1 s, exocrine pancreatic and CF-related liver disease status, Pseudomonas aeruginosa colonization, serum high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, and body mass index (BMI). CFTR genotypes were classified as severe (classes I and II) or other.

Results

108 CF patients and 51 healthy subjects volunteered for the study. In the CF group BMI was lower (median [IQR]: 20.5 kg/m² [18.4–22.2] vs. 21.6 kg/m² [19.9–23.4], p = 0.02) and hsCRP levels were higher (3.6 mg/L [1.1–7.1] vs. 0.5 mg/dL [0.3–1.0], p < 10⁻¹⁰). While sVCAM-1 concentrations were greater in CF patients (1018 ng/mL [851–1279] vs. 861 ng/mL [806–979], p < 10⁻⁴), sP-selectin levels did not differ (155 ng/mL [129–188] vs. 156 ng/mL [144–177], p = 0.48). None of the multivariable regression models was valid for the prediction of sVCAM-1 and sP-selectin in CF.

Conclusions

We found higher sVCAM-1 concentrations in CF patients than in healthy subjects, which were not explained by CF characteristics. Further research is required to check whether sVCAM-1 is a marker of microangiopathy in CF.

Anti-apoptotic effect of microRNA-30b in early phase of rat myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury model

This study aimed to investigate the effect of microRNA-30b (miR-30b) in rat myocardial ischemic-reperfusion (I/R) injury model. We randomly divided Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats (n = 80) into five groups: 1) control group; 2) miR-30b group; 3) sham-operated group; 4) I/R group, and 5) I/R+miR-30b group. Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction, immunohistochemical staining and Western blot analysis were conducted. TUNEL assay was employed for testing cardiomyocyte apoptosis. Our results showed that miR-30b levels were down-regulated in I/R group and I/R + miR-30b group compared with sham-operated group (both P < 0.05). However, miR-30b level in I/R + miR-30b group was higher than I/R group (P < 0.05). Markedly, the apoptotic rate in I/R group showed highest in I/R group (P < 0.05). Additionally, the results illustrated that protein levels of Bcl-2, Bax, and caspase-3 were at higher levels in ischemic regions in I/R group, comparing to sham-operated group (all P < 0.05), while Bcl-2/Bax was reduced (P < 0.05). Bcl-2 level and Bcl-2/Bax were obviously increased in I/R + miR-30b group by comparison with I/R group, and expression levels of Bax and caspase-3 were down-regulated (all P < 0.05). We also found that in I/R + miR-30b group, KRAS level was apparently lower and p-AKT level was higher by comparing with I/R group (both P < 0.05). Our study indicated that miR-30b overexpression had anti-apoptotic effect on early phase of rat myocardial ischemia injury model through targeting KRAS and activating the Ras/Akt pathway.

Platelet activation, adhesion, inflammation, and aggregation potential are altered in the presence of electronic cigarette extracts of variable nicotine concentrations

Tobacco smoke extracts prepared from both mainstream and sidestream smoking have been associated with heightened platelet activation, aggregation, adhesion, and inflammation. Conversely, it has been shown that pure nicotine inhibits similar platelet functions. In this work, we 1) evaluated the effects of e-cigarette extracts on platelet activities and 2) elucidated the differences between the nicotine-dependent and non-nicotine dependent (e.g. fine particulate matter or toxic compounds) effects of tobacco and e-cigarette products on platelet activities. To accomplish these goals, platelets from healthy volunteers (n = 50) were exposed to tobacco smoke extracts, e-cigarette vapor extracts, and pure nicotine and changes in platelet activation, adhesion, aggregation, and inflammation were evaluated, using optical aggregation, flow cytometry, and ELISA methods. Interestingly, the exposure of platelets to e-vapor extracts induced a significant up-regulation in the expression of the pro-inflammatory gC1qR and cC1qR and induced a marked increase in the deposition of C3b as compared with traditional tobacco smoke extracts. Similarly, platelet activation, as measured by a prothrombinase based assay, and platelet aggregation were also significantly enhanced after exposure to e-vapor extracts. Finally, platelet adhesion potential toward fibrinogen, von Willebrand factor, and other platelets was also enhanced after exposure to e-cigarette vapor extracts. In the presence of pure nicotine, platelet functions were observed to be inhibited, which further suggests that other constituents of tobacco smoke and electronic vapor can antagonize platelet functions, however, the presence of nicotine in extracts somewhat perpetuated the platelet functional changes in a dose-dependent manner.