Vascular Protective Effect and Its Possible Mechanism of Action on Selected Active Phytocompounds: A Review

Cardiovascular disrupting effects of bisphenols, phthalates, and parabens related to endothelial dysfunction: Review of toxicological and pharmacological mechanisms

Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are the leading cause of death worldwide. CVDs are promoted by the accumulation of lipids and immune cells in the endothelial space resulting in endothelial dysfunction. Endothelial cells are important components of the vascular endothelium, that regulate the vascular flow. The imbalance in the production of vasoactive substances results in the loss of vascular homeostasis, leading the endothelial dysfunction. Thus, endothelial dysfunction plays an essential role in the development of atherosclerosis and can be triggered by different cardiovascular risk factors. On the other hand, the 17β-estradiol (E2) hormone has been related to the regulation of vascular tone through different mechanisms. Several compounds can elicit estrogenic actions similar to those of E2. For these reasons, they have been called endocrine-disrupting compounds (EDCs). This review aims to provide up-to-date information about how different EDCs affect endothelial function and their mechanistic roles in the context of CVDs.

Lifestyle and the risk of acute coronary event: a retrospective study of patients after myocardial infarction

Introduction

Unhealthy lifestyle behaviours that may contribute to the development of disorders leading to MI include consuming foods with a high glycaemic load and excessive supply of saturated fats, especially trans fats. Limiting the consumption of simple and refined carbohydrates, such as sweets, sweet drinks, white bread, or white pasta, has a positive effect on the lipid profile by lowering the concentration of triglycerides. Eliminating simple sugars, especially fructose, prevents the deposition of visceral adipose tissue.

Materials and methods

The study included 116 patients of the Silesian Centre for Heart Diseases in Zabrze (SCCS; Poland), with their average age being 59.45 ± 11.54 years, staying in the SCCS due to MI, from March to November 2022. The comprehensive assessment of diet quality included 72 patients: 15 women and 57 men. The research tool was the KomPAN questionnaire for examining dietary views and habits, developed by the Committee on Human Nutrition Science of the Polish Academy of Sciences, evaluating the diet in the year preceding the study. The following three indicators were used to assess the diet quality: pro-Healthy Diet Index (pHDI), non-Healthy Diet Index (nHDI) and Diet Quality Index (DQI).

Results

Most patients ate white wheat bread several times a day (39.66% of patients, with a higher percentage in men than in women - 42.35% vs. 32.26%), and white rice, fine-ground groats and pasta once a week (40.52% of patients, including 41.17% of men and 38.71% of women). Legume seeds were predominantly eaten 1-3 times a month (51.73% of responses, with comparable percentages of men and women, i.e., 51.76% vs. 51.62%), vegetables several times a week (42.25% of responses, including more women than men, i.e., 54.84% vs. 37.64%), and fruit once a day (40.52% of responses, including more men than women: 45.89% vs. 25.81%).

Conclusion

The results of our assessment of individual behaviours of the whole group may indicate errors in the diet. The value of the pro-Healthy Diet Index appears to confirm this fact, while the non-Healthy Diet Index and Diet Quality Index values do not clearly demonstrate its potential adverse impact on health. These limitations of our study may be due to differences in the size of the study population and the size of the population included in the comprehensive diet assessment. Therefore, it seems necessary to conduct further research.

A Scoping Review on the Effects of Carotenoids and Flavonoids on Skin Damage Due to Ultraviolet Radiation

Skin exposure to ultraviolet (UV) rays in the sun causes premature ageing and may predispose to skin cancers. UV radiation generates excessive free radical species, resulting in oxidative stress, which is responsible for cellular and DNA damage. There is growing evidence that phytonutrients such as flavonoids and carotenoids may impede oxidative stress and prevent photodamage. We conducted a systematic review of the literature to explore the effects of certain phytonutrients in preventing skin photodamage. We searched the electronic Medline (Ovid) and Pubmed databases for relevant studies published between 2002 and 2022. The main inclusion criteria were articles written in English, and studies reporting the effects of phytonutrient-containing plants of interest on the skin or skin cells exposed to UV radiation. We focused on tea, blueberries, lemon, carrot, tomato, and grapes, which are rich in flavonoids and/or carotenoids. Out of 434 articles retrieved, 40 were identified as potentially relevant. Based on our inclusion criteria, nine articles were included in the review. The review comprises three combined in vitro and animal studies, four human studies, one in vitro research, and one mixed in vitro and human study. All the studies reported positive effects of flavonoids and carotenoid-containing plant extract on UV-induced skin damage. This evidence-based review highlights the potential use of flavonoids and carotenoids found in plants in preventing the deleterious effects of UV radiation on the skin. These compounds may have a role in clinical and aesthetic applications for the prevention and treatment of sunburn and photoaging, and may potentially be used against UV-related skin cancers.

Alpha-Mangostin Reduces Pericellular Fibronectin on Suspended Tumor Cells and Therapeutically, but Not Prophylactically, Suppresses Distant Metastasis

Major cancer deaths can be ascribed to distant metastasis to which the assembly of pericellular fibronectin (periFN) on suspended tumor cells (STCs) in the bloodstream that facilitate endothelial attachment can lead. Even though mangosteen pericarps (MP) extracts and the major component α-mangostin (α-MG) exhibit potent cancer chemopreventive properties, whether they can prophylactically and therapeutically be used as dietary nutraceuticals to prevent distant metastasis by suppressing periFN assembly on STCs within the circulation remains obscure. Immunofluorescence staining, MTT assays, flow cytometric assays, immunoblotting, and experimental metastasis mouse models were used to detect the effects of MP extracts or α-MG on periFN on STCs, tumor cell proliferation and apoptosis, the AKT activity, and tumor lung metastasis. The periFN assembly on STCs was significantly diminished upon treatments of STCs with either α-MG or MP extracts in a dose-dependent manner without inhibiting cell proliferation and viability due to increased AKT activity. Pretreatment of STCs with α-MG appeared to suppress tumor lung metastasis and prolong mouse survival rates. Oral gavage with MP extracts could therapeutically, but not prophylactically, prevent lung metastasis of STCs. We concluded that MP extracts or the major component α-MG may therapeutically serve as a potent anti-metastatic nutraceutical.