The Relationship Between Plasma Selenium, Antioxidant Status, Inflammatory Responses and Ischemic Cardiomyopathy: A Case-Control Study Based on Matched Propensity Scores

Brazil Nut (Bertholletia excelsa H.B.K.) Consumption in Energy-Restricted Intervention Decreases Proinflammatory Markers and Intestinal Permeability of Women with Overweight/Obesity: A Controlled Trial (Brazilian Nuts Study)

BACKGROUND

Obesity is associated with low-grade inflammation and increased intestinal permeability (IP). The Brazil nut (BN) (Bertholletia excelsa H.B.K.) appears to be a promising dietary intervention to control inflammation by enhancing antioxidant defenses.

OBJECTIVES

We aimed to assess the effect of daily BN consumption on inflammatory biomarkers and IP in the context of an energy-restricted intervention. Furthermore, we evaluated the correlation between the changes in these inflammatory markers and the changes in serum selenium and IP.

METHODS

In this 8-wk nonrandomized controlled trial, 56 women with overweight or obesity were allocated into 2 groups, both following an energy-restricted diet (-500 kcal/d). The control group (CO) consumed a nut-free diet, while the BN group consumed 8 g BN/d, providing 347.2 μg selenium (Se). Inflammatory cytokines were analyzed in plasma and Se in serum. IP was assessed using the lactulose/mannitol test (LM ratio).

RESULTS

Forty-six women completed the intervention. Both groups achieved similar energy restriction (CO Δ= -253.7 ± 169.4 kcal/d; BN Δ= -265.8 ± 141.8 kcal/d) and weight loss (CO Δ= -2.5 ± 0.5 kg; BN Δ= -3.5 ± 0.5 kg). The BN group showed lower values of C-reactive protein, tumor necrosis factor, interleukin (IL)1-β, IL-8, percentage lactulose excretion, and LM ratio than the CO group. Additionally, changes in serum Se concentration were predictive of changes in IL-8 concentration (β: -0.054; adjusted R2: 0.100; 95% confidence interval [CI]: -0.100; -0.007; P = 0.025), and changes in IL-8 were predictive of changes in the LM ratio (β: 0.006; adjusted R2: 0.101; 95% CI: 0.001, 0.011; P = 0.024).

CONCLUSIONS

Regular intake of BNs can be a promising complementary dietary strategy for controlling low-grade inflammation and improving IP in women with overweight/obesity undergoing energy-restricted treatment. However, the effects of BNs seem to be Se status-dependent. This trial was registered at the Brazilian Registry of Clinical Trials (ReBEC: https://ensaiosclinicos.gov.br/rg/RBR-3ntxrm/.

Association of Serum Selenium and Selenoprotein P with Oxidative Stress Biomarkers in Patients with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is the most common endocrine disorder in women of reproductive age which is characterized by various reproductive and metabolic disorders. Oxidative stress (OS) is now recognized to be involved in the pathogenesis of PCOS which could be targeted in the management of PCOS-related complications. Selenium (Se), as an antioxidant trace element, has been shown to decrease in PCOS patients. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between the Se and selenoprotein P (SELENOP) levels with OS markers in women with PCOS. In this cross-sectional study, 125 females aged 18-45 years diagnosed with PCOS were included. Demographic, clinical, and lifestyle information of participants were obtained using the relevant questionnaires. Fasting blood samples were collected to measure biochemical parameters. Serum levels of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS), total antioxidant capacity (TAC), erythrocyte superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), and catalase activities as well as anthropometric measurements were assessed across tertiles of serum concentrations of Se and SELENOP. Higher serum levels of Se were associated with higher serum TAC levels (β=0.42, P<0.001) and erythrocytes GPx activity (β=0.28, P=0.002) as well as with lower serum TBARS levels (β= -0.26, P=0.003). Similarly, higher serum levels of SELENOP were associated with higher TAC (β=0.32, P<0.001) and erythrocyte GPx activity (β=0.30, P=0.001). SELENOP also showed an inverse association with serum levels of TBARS (β= -0.40, P<0.001). Nevertheless, erythrocytes SOD and CAT activities showed no significant relationships with serum Se and SELENOP concentrations (all P>0.05). The present study found that serum Se and SELENOP levels were inversely associated with TBARS levels and positively associated with TAC levels and erythrocytes GPx activity.

Selenium exerts protective effects on inflammatory cardiovascular damage: molecular aspects via SIRT1/p53 and Cyt-c/Cas-3 pathways

BACKGROUND

Systemic inflammatory response could affect many systems. Cardiac dysfunction develops due to cardiovascular system damage and could be mortal. Selenium is a trace element that can be used as a dietary supplement and has antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-apoptotic properties. This study aims to evaluate the protective effects of selenium on cardiovascular damage via silenced information regulator 1 (SIRT1)/p53 and cytochrome C (Cyt-c)/ caspase-3 (Cas-3) pathways.

METHODS AND RESULTS

Thirty-two rats were randomly divided into 4 groups as control, LPS (0.1 mg/kg, intraperitoneally(i.p.), 2-7 days) and LPS + Selenium (LPS-0.1 mg/kg, i.p., 2-7 days, selenium - 100 µg/kg, i.p., 1-7 days) and selenium (100 µg/kg, i.p., 1-7 days) group. On the 8th day of the experiment, rats were sacrificed. Blood samples and half of the left ventricles were collected for biochemical and genetic analysis. The remaining left ventricles and aorta were taken for histological and immunohistochemical analysis. In the LPS group myocardial hemorrhages, hyperemia, and endothelial cell loss were observed. Also, Cas-3 and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) expressions; creatine kinase-MB (CK-MB), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), ischemia modified albumin (IMA), total oxidant status (TOS), oxidative stress index (OSI) levels; p53, Cyt-c, Cas-3 mRNA expressions increased while total antioxidant status (TAS) levels, glutathione peroxidase (GPx) activity, SIRT1 mRNA expression decreased. Selenium treatment reversed all these changes.

CONCLUSION

Selenium showed protective effects on cardiovascular injury via regulating SIRT1/p53 and Cyt-c/Cas-3 pathways. This study enlightened the possible usage of selenium on cardiotoxicity.

Level and clinical significance of serum bFGF in patients with ischemic cardiomyopathy

OBJECTIVE

To detect the level of serum basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) in patients with ischemic cardiomyopathy (ICM) and analyze its clinical significance.

METHODS

This is a prospective study. From June 2018 to June 2021, 244 patients diagnosed with ICM in the department of cardiology of Tianyou Hospital Affiliated to Wuhan University of Science and Technology and 244 healthy people who underwent physical examination in the physical examination center of our hospital during the same period were enrolled as the research subjects. Serum bFGF level was measured by ELISA kit, and the ICM patients were divided into a high bFGF group (180 cases) and a low bFGF group (64 cases) according to the cut-off value 56.83 obtained from X-tile software analysis, and the clinical data of the two groups were compared. In addition, according to the 12-month survival, the patients were grouped into a poor prognosis group (56 cases) and a good prognosis group (188 cases). Then, univariate and multivariate proportional hazards model (COX regression) analyses were applied to analyze the influencing factors of poor prognosis in ICM patients.

RESULTS

In the ICM group, there were more patients with hypertension and diabetes, and patients had higher levels of HbA1c, blood urea nitrogen, creatinine and uric acid, and lower levels of eGFR and bFGF than patients in the control group (P<0.05). The 12-month endpoint event rate in the low bFGF group was 54.69%, which was significantly higher than 11.67% in the high bFGF group (P<0.05). The left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) in the low bFGF group was significantly lower than that in the high bFGF group, and the bFGF group also had more patients with cardiac function grade IV (P<0.05). Multivariate COX regression analysis showed that age, diabetes, LVEF and low bFGF were independent influencing factors of poor prognosis in patients with ICM (P<0.05). After adjusting for age, diabetes and LVEF, patients with low bFGF had a higher risk of poor prognosis than those with high bFGF (HR=4.416, 95 CI%: 1.977-9.863, P<0.05).

CONCLUSION

The serum expression of bFGF in ICM patients is low, and the risk of poor prognosis is higher in patients with low bFGF, suggesting that serum bFGF level has a certain value in the prognosis evaluation of ICM patients.