Plasma apolipoproteins A-I, A-II, B, C-II, C-III, and E levels in young Kuwaiti male survivors of myocardial infarction

The Effects of Using Chemicals to Remove Slime from African Giant Land Snails Flesh during Processing on Some Nutritional and Biochemical Parameters

The effects of chemicals commonly used in Cameroon to eliminate slime from the flesh of the African giant land snail, Archachatina marginata, during processing on some nutritional and biochemical parameters were investigated. Groups of snails were processed with these chemicals at three different concentrations. Proximate analysis of all the treated snail groups was carried out, and groups with the highest concentration of each chemical were used to compose diets for experimental rats. Thirty weanling male Wistar albino rats (31.25 ± 3.09 g) aged 21days old were distributed into four groups and fed with 10% protein based diets of A. marginata named D1 (washed with only water), D2 (lime C-treated), D3 (alum C-treated), and D4 (salt C-treated). The crude protein contents of the treated groups reduced significantly when compared with the control (CW), with lime C-treated (LC) having the least here and in crude fiber, but higher (LC, LB, and LA) in dry matter. There was a significant reduction in the crude lipid of alum C-treated (AC) and salt A-treated (SA). In vivo studies showed a general decrease in food consumption, weight gained, efficiency of feed utilization (EFU), true protein digestibility (TD) (except D2), and hematological indices (RBCs (red blood cells), PCV (packed cell volume) of the treated groups (D2, D3, D4) when compared to the control (D1). On the other hand, an increase in the relative weight of the liver (RWL), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), and total cholesterol was observed with some of the treated diets; meanwhile, protein efficiency ratio (PER), net protein ratio (NPR), relative weight of the kidneys (RWK), HDL cholesterol, and triglycerides were not affected by these diets. These chemicals should only be used at low concentrations or not at all because of its toxicity at high concentrations.

High-density lipoprotein subclasses and their relationship to cardiovascular disease

OBJECTIVE

To assess the clinical utility of measuring high-density lipoprotein (HDL) subfractions to assess coronary heart disease (CHD) risk.

METHODS

Literature review of 80 published investigations.

RESULTS

Measurements of HDL2b by gradient gel electrophoresis provided more consistent evidence of CHD risk than measurement of HDL2 cholesterol. Five of the seven studies that compared the extent or progression of atherosclerosis with gradient gel electrophoresis estimates of HDL subclasses (71%) assigned statistical significance to HDL2b. Ten of the 11 case-control comparisons (91%) reported lower HDL2b in cases. In contrast, of the 16 association studies relating HDL2 cholesterol and HDL3 cholesterol to extent of disease, five reported no significant relationships with either subfraction, two reported significant relationships with both HDL2 and HDL3 cholesterol, four reported significant relationships with HDL2 but not HDL3 cholesterol, and five reported relationships with HDL3 but not HDL2 cholesterol. Forty-five percent of the case-control comparisons reported that both HDL2 cholesterol and HDL3 cholesterol were significantly lower in cases than controls, 17% failed to find significance for either subfraction, and the remainder reported significantly lower values in cases for HDL2 cholesterol only (26%) or HDL3 cholesterol only (11%). On average, the case-control differences were similar for HDL2 (-0.12 ± 0.01 mmol/L) and HDL3 cholesterol (-0.10 ± 0.02 mmol/L), although relative to controls, the percent reduction was twice as great for HDL2 (-25.7 ± 2.9%) than HDL3 cholesterol (-12.1 ± 1.5%). Eight prospective studies were identified and four reported that both HDL2 and HDL3 predicted lower risk for CHD, one reported reductions in risk for HDL2 but not HDL3 cholesterol, and three reported reductions in risk for HDL3 but not HDL2 cholesterol. None of the prospective studies show that measurements of HDL cholesterol subfractions improve the identification of persons at risk.

CONCLUSIONS

HDL2 and HDL3 cholesterol do not distinguish cardioprotective differences between HDL subclasses. More extensive characterization of HDL particles by one or two dimensional gel electrophoresis, ion mobility, or ultracentrifugation may provide more specific information about CHD risk than the measurement of HDL cholesterol, HDL3 cholesterol, or HDL2 cholesterol.