Enhancement of Nitric Oxide Bioavailability by Modulation of Cutaneous Nitric Oxide Stores

Relationship between Lipoprotein Lipase Derived from Subcutaneous Adipose Tissue and Cardio-Ankle Vascular Index in Japanese Patients with Severe Obesity

INTRODUCTION

Cardio-ankle vascular index (CAVI) is an arterial stiffness index that correlates inversely with body mass index (BMI) and subcutaneous fat area. Lipoprotein lipase (LPL) that catalyzes the hydrolysis of serum triglycerides is produced mainly in adipocytes. Serum LPL mass reflects LPL expression in adipose tissue, and its changes correlate inversely with changes in CAVI. We hypothesized that LPL derived from subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT) suppresses the progression of arteriosclerosis and examined the relationship of LPL gene expression in different adipose tissues and serum LPL mass with CAVI in Japanese patients with severe obesity undergoing laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG).

METHODS

This study was a single-center retrospective database analysis. Fifty Japanese patients who underwent LSG and had 1-year postoperative follow-up data were enrolled (mean age 47.5 years, baseline BMI 46.6 kg/m2, baseline HbA1c 6.7%). SAT and visceral adipose tissue (VAT) samples were obtained during LSG surgery. LPL gene expression was analyzed by real-time PCR. Serum LPL mass was measured by ELISA using a specific monoclonal antibody against LPL.

RESULTS

At baseline, LPL mRNA expression in SAT correlated positively with serum LPL mass, but LPL mRNA expression in VAT did not. LPL mRNA expression in SAT was correlated, and serum LPL mass tended to correlate inversely with the number of metabolic syndrome symptoms, but LPL mRNA expression in VAT did not. LPL mRNA expression in SAT and CAVI tended to correlate inversely in the group with visceral-to-subcutaneous fat ratio of 0.4 or higher, which is considered metabolically severe. Serum LPL mass increased 1 year after LSG. Change in serum LPL mass at 1 year after LSG tended to be an independent factor inversely associated with change in CAVI.

CONCLUSIONS

Serum LPL mass reflected LPL mRNA expression in SAT in Japanese patients with severe obesity, and LPL mRNA expression in SAT was associated with CAVI in patients with visceral obesity. The change in serum LPL mass after LSG tended to independently contribute inversely to the change in CAVI. This study suggests that LPL derived from SAT may suppress the progression of arteriosclerosis.

Pepsin Hydrolysate from Surimi Industry-Related Olive Flounder Head Byproducts Attenuates LPS-Induced Inflammation and Oxidative Stress in RAW 264.7 Macrophages and In Vivo Zebrafish Model

Fish head byproducts derived from surimi processing contribute about 15% of the total body weight, which are beneficial to health because they contain essential nutrients. In this study, olive flounder (OF) was the target species in order to maximize the byproduct utilization. In RAW 264.7 macrophages, the seven hydrolysates from OF head byproducts were examined for their inhibitory potential against inflammation and the oxidative stress induced by lipopolysaccharides (LPS). The pepsin hydrolysate (OFH-PH) demonstrated strong anti-inflammatory activity via the down-regulation of NO production, with an IC50 value of 299.82 ± 4.18 µg/mL. We evaluated the inhibitory potential of pro-inflammatory cytokines and PGE2 to confirm these findings. Additionally, iNOS and COX-2 protein expressions were confirmed using western blotting. Furthermore, the results from the in vivo zebrafish model demonstrated that OFH-PH decreased the LPS-elevated heart rate, NO production, cell death, and intracellular ROS level, while increasing the survival percentage. Hence, the obtained results of this study serve as a platform for future research and provide insight into the mediation of inflammatory disorders. These results suggest that OFH-PH has the potential to be utilized as a nutraceutical and functional food ingredient.

New lipophilic organic nitrates: candidates for chronic skin disease therapy

Organic nitrates are widely used, but their chronic efficacy is blunted due to the development of tolerance. The properties of new tolerance free organic nitrates were studied. Their lipophilicity profile and passive diffusion across polydimethylsiloxane membrane and pig ear-skin, and their efficacy in tissue regeneration using HaCaT keratinocytes were evaluated. The permeation results show that these nitrates have a suitable profile for NO topical administration on the skin. Furthermore, the derivatives with higher NO release exerted a pro-healing effect on HaCaT cells. This new class of organic nitrates might be a promising strategy for the chronic treatment of skin pathologies.

Gas Flow-Dependent Modification of Plasma Chemistry in μAPP Jet-Generated Cold Atmospheric Plasma and Its Impact on Human Skin Fibroblasts

The micro-scaled Atmospheric Pressure Plasma Jet (µAPPJ) is operated with low carrier gas flows (0.25-1.4 slm), preventing excessive dehydration and osmotic effects in the exposed area. A higher yield of reactive oxygen or nitrogen species (ROS or RNS) in the µAAPJ-generated plasmas (CAP) was achieved, due to atmospheric impurities in the working gas. With CAPs generated at different gas flows, we characterized their impact on physical/chemical changes of buffers and on biological parameters of human skin fibroblasts (hsFB). CAP treatments of buffer at 0.25 slm led to increased concentrations of nitrate (~352 µM), hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂; ~124 µM) and nitrite (~161 µM). With 1.40 slm, significantly lower concentrations of nitrate (~10 µM) and nitrite (~44 µM) but a strongly increased H₂O₂ concentration (~1265 µM) was achieved. CAP-induced toxicity of hsFB cultures correlated with the accumulated H₂O₂ concentrations (20% at 0.25 slm vs. ~49% at 1.40 slm). Adverse biological consequences of CAP exposure could be reversed by exogenously applied catalase. Due to the possibility of being able to influence the plasma chemistry solely by modulating the gas flow, the therapeutic use of the µAPPJ represents an interesting option for clinical use.