trans-Fatty Acids as an Enhancer of Inflammation and Cell Death: Molecular Basis for Their Pathological Actions

Cognition of diet quality and dietary management in elderly patients with coronary and other atherosclerotic vascular disease in western China, a qualitative research study

BACKGROUND

Healthy eating is one of the most important nonpharmacologic treatments for patients with atherosclerosis(AS). However, it is unclear how elderly AS patients in western China perceive their dietary status and which type of nutritional assistance they would be willing to receive. Therefore, the primary purpose of this study was to understand the level of knowledge about current dietary habits and healthy eating habits among elderly AS patients in western China, and the secondary purpose was to identify acceptable nutritional assistance measures or pathways for those patients to help them manage disease progression.

METHODS

An implementation study approach was used to recruit elderly patients with AS-related diseases in western China for semistructured interviews.

RESULTS

14 participants were included in the study, and the following three themes were identified from the interviews:(1) the diet with regional characteristics; (2) low nutrition-related health literacy; (3) complex attitudes towards nutritional assistance. Most participants had misconceptions about healthy eating, and the sources of their knowledge might not be trustworthy. Participants expressed a preference for personalized nutritional assistance, especially that provided by medical-nursing combined institutions.

CONCLUSION

Patients in western China need nutritional assistance for their regional dietary habits; therefore, healthy dietary patterns consistent with the regional culture are proposed to improve the prevailing lack of knowledge about healthy diets, improve the dietary structure of patients, and control the development of the disease.

The Lipid-Heart Hypothesis and the Keys Equation Defined the Dietary Guidelines but Ignored the Impact of Trans-Fat and High Linoleic Acid Consumption

In response to a perceived epidemic of coronary heart disease, Ancel Keys introduced the lipid-heart hypothesis in 1953 which asserted that high intakes of total fat, saturated fat, and cholesterol lead to atherosclerosis and that consuming less fat and cholesterol, and replacing saturated fat with polyunsaturated fat, would reduce serum cholesterol and consequently the risk of heart disease. Keys proposed an equation that would predict the concentration of serum cholesterol (ΔChol.) from the consumption of saturated fat (ΔS), polyunsaturated fat (ΔP), and cholesterol (ΔZ): ΔChol. = 1.2(2ΔS - ΔP) + 1.5ΔZ. However, the Keys equation conflated natural saturated fat and industrial trans-fat into a single parameter and considered only linoleic acid as the polyunsaturated fat. This ignored the widespread consumption of trans-fat and its effects on serum cholesterol and promoted an imbalance of omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acids in the diet. Numerous observational, epidemiological, interventional, and autopsy studies have failed to validate the Keys equation and the lipid-heart hypothesis. Nevertheless, these have been the cornerstone of national and international dietary guidelines which have focused disproportionately on heart disease and much less so on cancer and metabolic disorders, which have steadily increased since the adoption of this hypothesis.

The association between plasma trans-fatty acids level and migraine: A cross-sectional study from NHANES 1999-2000

OBJECTIVES

Trans-fatty acid (TFA) has been linked to an increased risk of a variety of diseases, such as cardiovascular disease (CVD), diabetes, and cancer. However, the relationship between plasma TFAs and migraine is little known. The current study aimed to determine the association between plasma TFAs and migraine in a large cross-sectional study among U.S. adults.

METHODS

The participants from the US National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) were included during the period 1999-2000. The plasma concentrations of four major TFAs, including palmitelaidic acid (C16:1n-7t), elaidic acid (C18:1n-9t), vaccenic acid (C18:1n-7t), and linolelaidic acid (C18:2n-6t, 9t) were measured by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS). The presence of migraine headache was determined by self-report questionnaire. Weighted multivariable logistic regressions and restricted cubic spline (RCS) regressions were explored to assess the relationship between plasma TFAs and migraine. Furthermore, stratified analysis and testing of interaction terms were used to evaluate the effect modification by sex, age, race/ethnicity, family income, and BMI.

RESULTS

A total of 1534 participants were included. The overall weighted prevalence of severe headache or migraine was 21.2 %. After adjusting for all potential covariates, plasma levels of elaidic acid and linolelaidic acid were positively associated with migraine. The adjusted OR values were 1.18 (95 %CI: 1.08-1.29, p=0.014, per 10 units increase) and 1.24 (95 %CI: 1.07-1.44, p=0.024). Then the included participants were divided into 2-quantiles by plasma TFA levels. Compared with participants with lower plasma levels of elaidic acid and linolelaidic acid (Q1 groups), those in the Q2 group had a higher prevalence of migraine when adjusted for all covariates in Model 2. The adjusted OR values were 2.43 (95 %CI: 1.14-5.18, p=0.037) for elaidic acid, and 2.18 (95 %CI: 1.14-4.20, p=0.036) for linolelaidic acid. Results were robust when analyses were stratified by sex, age, race/ethnicity, family income, and BMI, and no effect modification on the association was found.

CONCLUSIONS

Our results demonstrated a positive association between migraine prevalence and plasma levels of elaidic acid and linolelaidic acid in US adults. These results highlight the connection between circulating TFAs and migraine.

Angiotensin-(1-9) attenuates adriamycin-induced cardiomyopathy in rats via the angiotensin type 2 receptor

Adriamycin (ADR) causes irreversible damage to the heart, leading to ADR-induced cardiomyopathy (ACM). Angiotensin-(1-9) [Ang-(1-9)] is a peptide from the counter-regulatory renin-angiotensin system, but the effects on ACM is unclear. Our study was aimed to explore the effects and underlying molecular mechanisms of Ang-(1-9) against ACM in Wistar rats. Rats were injected intraperitoneally with ADR via six equal doses (each containing 2.5 mg/kg) within a period of 2 weeks to induce ACM. After 2 weeks of ADR treatment, the rats were treated with Ang-(1-9) (200 ng/kg/min) or angiotensin type 2 receptor (AT2R) antagonist PD123319 (100 ng/kg/min) for 4 weeks. Although Ang-(1-9) treatment did not influence blood pressure, it significantly improved left ventricular function and remodeling in ADR-treated rats, by inhibiting collagen deposition, the expression of TGF-β1, inflammatory response, cardiomyocyte apoptosis and oxidative stress. Moreover, Ang-(1-9) reduced ERK1/2 and P38 MAPK phosphorylation. The therapeutic effects of Ang-(1-9) were blocked by the AT2R antagonist PD123319, which also offset the down-regulation protein expression of pERK1/2 and pP38 MAPK induced by Ang-(1-9). These data suggest that Ang-(1-9) improved left ventricular function and remodeling in ADR-treated rats by an AT2R/ ERK1/2 and P38 MAPK-dependent mechanism. Thus, the Ang-(1-9)/AT2R axis may provide a novel and promising target to the prevention and treatment of ACM.

Industrially produced trans-fatty acids are potent promoters of DNA damage-induced apoptosis

trans-Fatty acids (TFAs) are unsaturated fatty acids harboring at least one carbon-carbon double bond in trans configuration, which are categorized into two groups according to their origin: industrial and ruminant TFAs, hereafter called iTFAs and rTFAs, respectively. Numerous epidemiological studies have shown a specific link of iTFAs to various diseases, such as cardiovascular and neurodegenerative diseases. However, there is little evidence for underlying mechanisms that can explain the specific toxicity of iTFAs, and how to mitigate their toxicity. Herein, we show that iTFAs, including elaidic acid (EA) and linoelaidic acid, but not rTFAs, facilitate apoptosis induced by doxorubicin (Dox), triggering DNA double-strand breaks. We previously established that EA promotes Dox-induced apoptosis by accelerating c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) activation through mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (ROS) overproduction. Consistently, iTFAs specifically enhanced Dox-induced JNK activation. Furthermore, Dox-induced pro-apoptotic signaling by iTFAs was blocked in the presence of oleic acid (OA), the geometrical cis isomer of EA. These results demonstrate that iTFAs specifically exert their toxicity during DNA damage-induced apoptosis, which could be effectively suppressed by OA. Our study provides evidence for understanding the difference in toxic actions between TFA species, and for new strategies to prevent and combat TFA-related diseases.

Association between nineteen dietary fatty acids and hearing thresholds: findings from a nationwide survey

INTRODUCTION

Hearing loss is a prevalent health concern, and dietary factors, such as fatty acid intake, may play a role in its development. The current study aimed to investigate the association between the intake of dietary fatty acids and hearing thresholds among U.S. adults.

METHODS

The researchers examined data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), including 7,623 participants with available dietary fatty acid intake and audiometry data. Dietary fatty acid intake was assessed using dietary recalls, and hearing thresholds were measured using pure-tone audiometry. Multivariate linear regression models and smoothing curve fitting were utilized to explore the associations between dietary fatty acid intake and hearing thresholds, adjusting for relevant covariates.

RESULTS

This study reveals a direct association between both low and high frequency pure tone average (PTA) hearing thresholds and the dietary intake of total saturated fatty acids (SFAs) and total polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs). Conversely, the intake of total monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs) demonstrates an inverted U-shaped correlation with low-frequency and high-frequency PTA hearing thresholds, having inflection points at 11.91 (energy (%)) and 10.88 (energy (%)), respectively.

CONCLUSION

Dietary intake of certain fatty acids may influence hearing thresholds in adults.

Association between plasma trans fatty acids and chronic periodontitis: Results from a nationally representative cross-sectional survey

BACKGROUND

Trans fatty acid (TFA) consumption has been reported to harbor proinflammatory characteristics and increasing oxidative stress properties, but there has been little research into its association with periodontitis. This study aimed to explore the potential association between TFAs and periodontitis.

METHODS

This large population-based study included participants from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2009-2010). Weighted binary and ordinal logistic regressions were used to calculate the odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) to evaluate the relationship between plasma TFAs and periodontitis.

RESULTS

A total of 1433 eligible participants, 793 (55.3%) participants with periodontitis and 640 (44.7%) without periodontitis were included. Univariate logistic regression revealed significant associations between plasma trans-11-octadecenoic acid, trans-9-octadecenoic acid, the sum of trans-octadecenoic acids, and the sum of TFAs and periodontitis (all P < 0.01). After controlling for the potential confounders, these four types of TFAs remained significantly associated with periodontitis (the ORs and 95% CIs per interquartile range increase were 1.16 (1.01-1.33), 1.20 (1.03-1.39), 1.18 (1.02-1.35), and 1.17 (1.01-1.35), respectively). Notably, these positive associations were more pronounced among overweight/obese populations. Additionally, plasma trans-9-octadecenoic acid levels were found to be associated with periodontitis severity.

CONCLUSIONS

This study suggests a significant positive association between certain plasma TFAs and chronic periodontitis, especially among overweight/obese populations. These findings provide new insights into periodontitis prevention from a dietary perspective.

Consumption of Coffee and Tea Is Associated with Macular Retinal Nerve Fiber Layer Thickness: Results from the UK Biobank

Coffee and tea drinking are thought to be protective for the development and progression of neurodegenerative disorders. This study aims to investigate associations between coffee and tea consumption with macular retinal nerve fiber layer (mRNFL) thickness, a marker of neurodegeneration. After quality control and eligibility screening, 35,557 out of 67,321 United Kingdom (UK) Biobank participants from six assessment centers were included in this cross-sectional study. In the touchscreen questionnaire, participants were asked how many cups of coffee and tea were consumed daily on average over the last year. Self-reported coffee and tea consumption were divided into four categories including 0 cup/day, 0.5-1 cups/day, 2-3 cups/day, and ≥4 cups/day, respectively. The mRNFL thickness was measured by the optical coherence tomography (Topcon 3D OCT-1000 Mark II) and automatically analyzed by segmentation algorithms. After adjusting for covariates, coffee consumption was significantly associated with an increased mRNFL thickness (β = 0.13, 95% CI = 0.01~0.25), which was more prominent in those who drank 2~3 cups coffee per day (β = 0.16, 95% CI = 0.03~0.30). The mRNFL thickness was also significantly increased in tea drinkers (β = 0.13, 95% CI = 0.01~0.26), especially for those who drank more than 4 cups of tea per day (β = 0.15, 95% CI = 0.01~0.29). The positive associations with mRNFL thickness, indicating that both coffee and tea consumptions had likely neuroprotective potentials. Causal links and underlying mechanisms for these associations should be explored further.

Physicochemical and sensory characteristics of traditional Kırklareli meatballs with added cowpea (Vigna unguiculata) flour

The effects of cowpea (Vigna unguiculata) flour on some physical, chemical, textural and sensory properties of Kırklareli meatballs were investigated. For this purpose, cowpea flour was added to the traditional Kırklareli meatball formulation in four different proportions (2, 4, 6 and 8%). As a result of the analysis on cowpea flour; pH, water activity (aw), moisture, protein, fat, ash, carbohydrate, acidity, starch, total dietary fiber, total monounsaturated fatty acids, total polyunsaturated fatty acids, total unsaturated fatty acids and total saturated fatty acids were found as 6.25, 0.52, 10.20, 20.35, 0.53, 2.94, 65.43%, 0.06, 45.09, 20.90, 5.86, 59.88, 65.74 and 34.26%, respectively. Depending on the increase in incorporation rate of cowpea flour, changes in L* (43,40-53,88), b* (13,92-18,11), pH (5,83-5,94), aw (0,96-0,98), moisture (44,03-50,63%), protein (17,70-21,89%), fat (19,49-22,97%), carbohydrate (6,77-12,11%), salt (1,28-1,74%), total dietary fiber (2,81-5,08%) values of the raw samples and a* (5,64-9,44), b* (9,77-18,06), moisture (39,27-45,24%), protein (19,92-23,45%), fat (23,08-26,19%), carbohydrate (5,92-11,30%), total dietary fiber (3,28-5,40%) values of the cooked Kırklareli meatball samples were statistically significant (P < 0.05), while the changes in weight loss, ash, free fatty acidity, texture and sensory results were found insignificant (P > 0.05). Total saturated, total unsaturated and trans fatty acid contents of cowpea flour added meatball samples were significantly (P < 0.05) different from the control samples. In the sensory analysis, meatball samples with 4% cowpea flour received the highest general acceptability score. According to the obtained data, cowpea flour can be added up to 4% on basic meat values without changing the textural and sensory properties of Kırklareli meatballs. Cowpea flour could be added as a functional ingredient in meatballs.

Graphical Abstract

Association of dietary patterns and components with atherosclerosis risk biomarkers in familial hypercholesterolemia

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

Familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) is a relatively common genetic disorder associated with elevated atherosclerotic risk. Dietary interventions can modulate processes associated with cardiovascular risk and potentiate the impact of pharmacological lipid-lowering therapies. This review evaluates recent findings of dietary patterns and their components on risk biomarkers in people with FH.

RECENT FINDINGS

Diets lower in saturated fatty acids (SFA) may reduce low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C); however, their effects seem to be modest. A Mediterranean style diet apparently exerts more robust effects on plasma LDL-C, apolipoprotein B and C reactive protein concentrations than one restricted in SFA. Supplementation of plant sterols and stanols reduces LDL-C especially in children with FH. Caloric restricted diets may reduce weight and improve triglyceride levels in individuals with FH and excess body weight.

SUMMARY

Despite the strong impact of genetic variants, dietary patterns mostly low in SFA and especially the Mediterranean diet may influence risk biomarkers in FH. However, most available studies are limited by cross-sectional design, small number of study subjects and short-term follow-ups. Robust interventional studies are necessary to test the impact of dietary patterns in people with FH.

Supportive Care in Oncology-From Physical Activity to Nutrition

The diagnosis and treatment of cancer are associated with impairment at the physical and at psychological level. In addition, side effects are a potentially treatment-limiting factor that may necessitate dose reduction, delay, or even discontinuation of therapy, with negative consequences for outcome and mean survival. Numerous studies have shown that physical activity and sports and exercise therapy programs are not only practicable but also recommendable for oncologic patients during the acute phase and in the aftercare. Furthermore, nutrition plays an important role in all stages of tumor therapy. A timely integration of a nutrition therapy and physical activity in the form of physiotherapy and sports therapy serves to prevent and reduce treatment-associated side effects. Evidence-based recommendations on cancer prevention through nutrition therapy, physical activity, and sports and exercise therapy should be integrated into treatment plans for oncology patients as well as in health care services for the general population. Individual counselling by trained nutrition and exercise specialists may be advisable to receive concrete recommendations on the respective tumor entity or specific side effects. This mini review is based on a selective literature search in the PubMed database and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials on the subjects of healthy diet and physical activity in primary prevention and follow-up about cancer.