Cholesteryl ester transfer protein (CETP), HDL capacity of receiving cholesterol and status of inflammatory cytokines in patients with severe heart failure

The favorable impacts of cardamom on related complications of diabetes: A comprehensive literature systematic review

BACKGROUND AND AIM

Complementary and alternative medicine plays an increasing role in preventing, and regulatory, complications associated with diabetes. There are plenty of polyphenolic compounds found in Elettaria cardamomum (Cardamom) such as luteolin, limonene, pelargonidin, caffeic acid, kaempferol, gallic acid, and quercetin which can be used in many metabolic diseases.

METHOD

The objective of this systematic review was to appraise evidence from clinical and in vivo studies on the effects of cardamom on inflammation, blood glucose, oxidative stress and dyslipidemia of diabetes mellitus. According to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) statements, the present study was carried out. Studies were conducted by searching databases such as EMBASE, Scopus, PubMed, Google Scholar, web of sciences, and Cochrane Library from the commencement until April 2022.

RESULTS

All available human and animal studies examining the effects of cardamom on diabetes were published in the form of English articles. Finally, only 14 of the 241 articles met the criteria for analysis. Of the 14 articles, 8 were in vivo studies, and 6 were clinical trial studies. Most studies have indicated the beneficial effects of cardamom on insulin resistance, oxidative stress and inflammation. Cardamom also improved dyslipidemia, but had no substantial effect on weight loss.

CONCLUSION

According to most studies, cardamom supplementation enhanced antioxidant enzyme production and activity in diabetes mellitus and decreased oxidative stress and inflammatory factors. Despite this, the exact mechanism of the disease needs to be identified through more clinical trials.

Cholesteryl Ester Transfer Protein (CETP) Variations in Relation to Lipid Profiles and Cardiovascular Diseases: An Update

Lipid metabolism plays an essential role in the pathogenesis of cardiovascular and metabolic diseases. Cholesteryl ester transfer protein (CETP) is a crucial glycoprotein involved in lipid metabolism by transferring cholesteryl esters (CE) and triglycerides (TG) between plasma lipoproteins. CETP activity results in reduced HDL-C and increased VLDL- and LDL-C concentrations, thus increasing the risk of cardiovascular and metabolic diseases. In this review, we discuss the structure of CETP and its mechanism of action. Furthermore, we focus on recent experiments on animal CETP-expressing models, deciphering the regulation and functions of CETP in various genetic backgrounds and interaction with different external factors. Finally, we discuss recent publications revealing the association of CETP single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) with the risk of cardiovascular and metabolic diseases, lifestyle factors, diet and therapeutic interventions. While CETP SNPs can be used as effective diagnostic markers, diet, lifestyle, gender and ethnic specificity should also be considered for effective treatment.

SARS-CoV-2 induced HDL dysfunction may affect the host's response to and recovery from COVID-19

INTRODUCTION

Covid-19 is linked with the development of cardio-metabolic disorders, including dyslipidemia, dysregulation of high-density lipoprotein (HDL), and low-density lipoprotein (LDL). Furthermore, SARS-Co-2 infection is associated with noteworthy changes in lipid profile, which is suggested as a possible biomarker to support the diagnosis and management of Covid-19.

METHODS

This paper adopts the literature review method to obtain information about how Covid-19 affects high-risk group patients and may cause severe and critical effects due to the development of acute lung injury and acute respiratory distress syndrome. A narrative and comprehensive review is presented.

RESULTS

Reducing HDL in Covid-19 is connected to the disease severity and poor clinical outcomes, suggesting that high HDL serum levels could benefit Covid-19. SARS-CoV-2 binds HDL, and this complex is attached to the co-localized receptors, facilitating viral entry. Therefore, SARS-CoV-2 infection may induce the development of dysfunctional HDL through different mechanisms, including induction of inflammatory and oxidative stress with activation of inflammatory signaling pathways. In turn, the induction of dysfunctional HDL induces the activation of inflammatory signaling pathways and oxidative stress, increasing Covid-19 severity.

CONCLUSIONS

Covid-19 is linked with the development of cardio-metabolic disorders, including dyslipidemia in general and dysregulation of high-density lipoprotein and low-density lipoprotein. Therefore, the present study aimed to overview the causal relationship between dysfunctional high-density lipoprotein and Covid-19.

Cholesterol Content of Very-Low-Density Lipoproteins Is Associated with 1-Year Mortality in Acute Heart Failure Patients

Considering the relationship between the extent of metabolic derangement and the disease severity in heart failure, we hypothesized that the lipid content of very-low-density lipoprotein (VLDL) may have prognostic value for 1 year mortality in acute heart failure (AHF). Baseline serum levels of VLDL cholesterol (VLDL-C), VLDL triglycerides (VLDL-TG), VLDL phospholipids (VLDL-PL), and VLDL apolipoprotein B (VLDL-apoB) were measured using NMR spectroscopy. We calculated the ratios of the respective VLDL lipids and VLDL apoB (VLDL-C/VLDL-apoB, VLDL-TG/VLDL-apoB, and VLDL-PL/VLDL-apoB), as estimators of the cholesterol, triglyceride, and phospholipid content of VLDL particles and tested their association with mortality. Out of 315 AHF patients, 118 (37.5%) patients died within 1 year after hospitalization for AHF. Univariable Cox regression analyses revealed a significant inverse association of VLDL-C/VLDL-apoB (hazard ratio (HR) 0.43, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.29−0.64, p < 0.001), VLDL-TG/VLDL-apoB (HR 0.79, 95% CI 0.71−0.88, p < 0.001), and VLDL-PL/VLDL-apoB (HR 0.37, 95% CI 0.25−0.56, p < 0.001) with 1 year mortality. Of the tested parameters, only VLDL-C/VLDL-apoB remained significant after adjustment for age and sex, as well as other clinical and laboratory parameters that showed a significant association with 1 year mortality in the univariable analyses. We conclude that cholesterol content of circulating VLDL (VLDL-C/VLDL-apoB) might be of prognostic value in AHF.

The Potential Role of Electronegative High-Density Lipoprotein H5 Subfraction in RA-Related Atherosclerosis

Although the heterogeneity of high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-c) composition is associated with atherosclerotic cardiovascular risk, the link between electronegative subfractions of HDL-c and atherosclerosis in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) remains unknown. We examined the association of the percentage of the most electronegative subfraction of HDL-c (H5%) and RA-related atherosclerosis. Using anion-exchange purification/fast-protein liquid chromatography, we demonstrated significantly higher H5% in patients (median, 7.2%) than HC (2.8%, p < 0.005). Multivariable regression analysis revealed H5% as a significant predictor for subclinical atherosclerosis. We subsequently explored atherogenic role of H5 using cell-based assay. The results showed significantly higher levels of IL-1β and IL-8 mRNA in H5-treated (mean ± SD, 4.45 ± 1.22 folds, 6.02 ± 1.43-folds, respectively) than H1-treated monocytes (0.89 ± 0.18-folds, 1.03 ± 0.26-folds, respectively, both p < 0.001). In macrophages, H5 upregulated the mRNA and protein expression of IL-1β and IL-8 in a dose-dependent manner, and their expression levels were significantly higher than H1-treated macrophages (all p < 0.001). H5 induced more foam cell formation compared with H1-treated macrophages (p < 0.005). In addition, H5 has significantly lower cholesterol efflux capacity than H1 (p < 0.005). The results of nanoLC-MS/MS approach reveal that the best discriminator between high-H5% and normal-H5% is Apo(a), the main constituent of Lp(a). Moreover, Lp(a) level is a significant predictor for high-H5%. These observations suggest that H5 is involved in RA-related atherosclerosis.

Mechanism of long non‑coding RNA metastasis‑associated lung adenocarcinoma transcript 1 in lipid metabolism and inflammation in heart failure

Heart failure (HF) is a serious threat to human health. Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are critical regulators of HF. The aim of the study was to investigate the molecular mechanism of MALAT1 in HF rats. MALAT1 expression was detected in serum of normal volunteers and HF patients, HF rats and isoproterenol (ISO)-induced H9C2 cells, and its diagnostic value was evaluated in HF patients. Indexes related to cardiac functions and hemodynamics, myocardial injury, lipid metabolism, lipid oxidation, and inflammation were detected. Moreover, the downstream mechanism of MALAT1 was predicted and verified and in vivo experiments were further performed in ISO-induced H9C2 cells to verify the effects of MALAT1 in HF. MALAT1 was highly expressed in serum of HF patients, HF rats and ISO-induced H9C2 cells and was valuable in predicting HF. Inhibition of MALAT1 increased cardiac function and anti-inflammation and alleviated myocardial injury, lipid metabolism, lipid oxidation and apoptosis rates. Inhibition of MALAT1 reduced H9C2 cell injury. MALAT1 competitively bound to microRNA (miR)-532-3p to upregulate LDLR protein. Inhibition of miR-532-3p weakened the protective effect of downregulated MALAT1 against H9C2 cell injury. We concluded that MALAT1 upregulated LDLR expression by competitively binding to miR-532-3p, thereby increasing pathological injury in HF.

Plasma Proteomics Identify Biomarkers and Pathogenesis of COVID-19

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is a global public health crisis. However, little is known about the pathogenesis and biomarkers of COVID-19. Here, we profiled host responses to COVID-19 by performing plasma proteomics of a cohort of COVID-19 patients, including non-survivors and survivors recovered from mild or severe symptoms, and uncovered numerous COVID-19-associated alterations of plasma proteins. We developed a machine-learning-based pipeline to identify 11 proteins as biomarkers and a set of biomarker combinations, which were validated by an independent cohort and accurately distinguished and predicted COVID-19 outcomes. Some of the biomarkers were further validated by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) using a larger cohort. These markedly altered proteins, including the biomarkers, mediate pathophysiological pathways, such as immune or inflammatory responses, platelet degranulation and coagulation, and metabolism, that likely contribute to the pathogenesis. Our findings provide valuable knowledge about COVID-19 biomarkers and shed light on the pathogenesis and potential therapeutic targets of COVID-19.

Plasma lipidomic biomarker analysis reveals distinct lipid changes in vascular dementia

Vascular dementia (VaD) is a complex neurocognitive disorder secondary to a variety of cerebrovascular lesions. Numerous studies have shown that lipid metabolism is involved in the pathobiology of the disease. We examined the plasma lipid profiles in VaD, with the expectation of identifying reliable lipid biomarkers for VaD. 49 VaD patients and 48 healthy controls were recruited from Bankstown-Lidcombe Hospital in Sydney, Australia. Lipids were extracted by single phase 1-butanol/methanol, and untargeted analysis was performed by liquid chromatography coupled-mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS). Univariate analysis of variance was used to examine the differences in lipid classes and individual lipids between VaD and control groups. In an independent sample of 161 subjects from the Older Australian Twins Study (OATS), elastic net penalization for the generalized linear model (Glmnet) and Random Forest were applied to the lipid levels to subcategorise the sample into vascular cognitive impairment and controls. Most lipids belonging to the classes of ceramides (Cer), cholesterol esters (ChE) and phospholipids were significantly lower in VaD plasma, while glycerides were elevated compared to controls. Levels of ChE, Cer and the two lipid classes together achieved the best accuracy in discriminating VaD from controls, with more than 80% accuracy. The probable VaD group in the OATS sample predicted by the lipid levels showed greater impairment in most cognitive domains, especially attention and processing speed and executive function from controls but did not differ in white matter hyperintensities and DTI measures. As a conclusion, plasma lipids levels, in particular Cer and ChE, are abnormal in VaD and may help discriminate them from healthy controls. Understanding the basis of these differences may provide insights into the pathobiology of VaD.

Proprotein Convertase Subtilisin/Kexin Type 9, Angiopoietin-Like Protein 8, Sortilin, and Cholesteryl Ester Transfer Protein-Friends of Foes for Psoriatic Patients at the Risk of Developing Cardiometabolic Syndrome?

Psoriasis is a systemic, immune-metabolic disease with strong genetic predispositions and autoimmune pathogenic traits. During psoriasis progression, a wide spectrum of comorbidities comes into play with the leading role of the cardio-metabolic syndrome (CMS) that occurs with the frequency of 30–50% amongst the psoriatic patients. Both conditions—psoriasis and CMS—have numerous common pathways, mainly related to proinflammatory pathways and cytokine profiles. Surprisingly, despite the years of research, the exact pathways linking the occurrence of CMS in the psoriasis population are still not fully understood. Recently published papers, both clinical and based on the basic science, shed new light into this relationship providing an insight into novel key-players proteins with plausible effects on above-mentioned interplay. Taking into account recent advances in this important medical matter, this review aims to discuss comprehensively the role of four proteins: proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type-9 (PSCK9), angiopoietin-like protein 8 (ANGPLT8), sortilin (SORT1), and cholesteryl ester transfer proteins (CEPT) as plausible links between psoriasis and CMS.