The adverse effect of a high energy dense diet on cardiac tissue

Purpose: To determine whether a high energy dense diet intake increases oxidative stress and alters antioxidant enzymes in cardiac tissue. Design: A randomized, controlled study. Ninety-day-old female rats were randomly divided into two groups: one fed with a low energy dense diet (LE; 3.0 kcal g-1) and one with a high energy dense diet (HE; 4.5 kcal g-1). Materials and Methods: After 8 weeks of treatment, the animals were fasted overnight and sacrificed by decapitation. The serum was used for glucose, triacylglycerol, cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein (LDL)-cholesterol and high-density lipoprotein (HDL)-cholesterol determinations. The glycogen, lipoperoxide, lipid hydroperoxide, superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase, lactate dehydrogenase, citrate synthase, total and non-protein sulphhydryl groups were determined in cardiac tissue. Results: HE decreased the myocardial glycogen content and increased the lactate dehydrogenase/citrate synthase ratio, indicating an increased glycolytic pathway and a shift from myocardial aerobic metabolism. HE-treated female rats showed increased lipoperoxide and hydroperoxide levels in cardiac tissue. Although no alterations were observed in the total sulphhydryl group and superoxide dismutase activities, glutathione peroxidase and the non-protein sulphhydryl group were significantly decreased in HE-treated animals. Conclusions: Although no alterations were observed in energy intake, HE induced an increased intake of fat and carbohydrate and an increased rate of weight gain. HE intake induced alterations in markers of oxidative stress in cardiac tissue. Hydrogen peroxide is an important toxic intermediate in the development of cardiac oxidative stress by HE. The specific nutrient content, such as fat and carbohydrate, rather than caloric intake, appears to be the main process inducing oxidative stress in HE-treated female rats.

Efeito do extrato aquoso de Allium sativum L. sobre parâmetros bioquímicos de ratas com diabete induzido por Streptozotocin

Many plants, even without scientific confirmation, are used in Brazil as hypoglycemic. The objective of the present work was to study the influence of the Allium sativum treatment, plant known popularly as garlic, on characteristic biochemical parameters in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats. Female Wistar rats were injected with 40 mg kg-1 streptozotocin (STZ). Oral administration of an aqueous extract of A. sativum was given to the diabetic animals in 2 doses: 200 and 400 mg kg-1 (n=6 animals/group). Diabetic rats given distilled water constituted the control group. After 28 days of treatment, the female rats were anesthetized and died by decapitation for collection of the blood for biochemical determinations and retreat of liver samples for hepatic glycogen dosage. The treatment with Allium sativum in the doses of 200 and 400 mg kg-1 alter no concentrations of total proteins, hepatic glycogen, triglycerides and VLDL, but it promoted reduction in the total cholesterol rate (control=280.5 ± 30.9; 200 mg kg-1 A. sativum =169.9 ± 19.5 and 400 mg kg-1 A. sativum =148.4 ± 26.6 mg dL-1) and LDL (control=128.8± 25.3; 200 mg kg-1 A. sativum = 41.4 ± 16.2 and 400 mg kg-1 A. sativum=42.0 ± 26.0 mg dL-1). The extract presented beneficial effect because it decreased 13.0% of glycemia in the highest dose. Therefore, the of garlic extract reduced the HDL concentration in two tested doses (control= 81.4 ± 30.2; 200 mg kg-1 A. sativum=49.6 ± 14.3 and 400 mg kg-1 A. sativum=41.7 ± 16.1 mg dL -1), presenting impaired effect. Thus, the garlic extract showed efficiency in the analyzed experimental conditions, and it could be used as complementary therapy to diabetic patients.

Efetividade de um programa de exercícios no condicionamento físico, perfil metabólico e pressão arterial de pacientes hipertensos

Background and objective: It has been shown that aerobic exercise is useful to reduce arterial pressure, however, the effectiveness of an exercise program is still controversial and not very well analyzed among populations with low-income. The objective of the present study was to set up an individualized physical fitness program - Projeto Hipertensão - focused on hypertensive people, patients from a Health Basic Unit (HBU) and, after that, to investigate the effects of this program on physical fitness, metabolic profile and pressure levels. Methods: Sixteen hypertensive women (56 ± 3yrs) under regular pharmacological treatment underwent 4 months of a supervised aerobic and stretching exercise program (3 sessions/wk, 90 min/session, 60% of V̇O 2 max). Several physical and metabolic variables were compared before and after 4 months of training. Results: Training significantly reduced systolic arterial pressure (SAP, -6%), improved cardio-respiratory fitness (+42% of V̇O2max), flexibility (+11%) and plasma glucose content (-4%). BMI and % fat did not change. Besides modifying metabolic profile, it was found that training presented significant correlations between individual initial values of cholesterol total level (CT), high density lipoprotein (HDL-C) and low density lipoprotein (LDL-C) and its responses after exercise. Conclusions: The study shows that exercise programs can be personalized for hypertensive patients from a HBU and confirms the effectiveness of exercise on AP, physical fitness, flexibility and lipid profile on hypertensive patients. The expressive reduction of AP in hypertensive subjects suggests that this exercise intervention should be emphasized on other health centers which assist low-income population.

Fatores de risco para doenças cardiovasculares em idosos com diabetes mellitus tipo 2

The aim of this study was to analyze the risk factors related to the cardiovascular diseases (CVRF) in elderly type 2 diabetics. A cross-sectional observational study was carried out on 100 elderly patients attending the Rehabilitation Center of Araraquara (CRRA), São Paulo State, Brazil, from March to December, 2004. The majority were married, female, white, with a low income and low educational level. Regarding habits and style of life, the subjects had an adequate diet, were sedentary, non-smoking and non-drinking. In the population of 100, 42% were overweight, 42% obese, 71% had above-normal waist measurements and 84% high waist-to-hip ratios. Concerning the CVRF, it was observed that more than half had hypertension, hypercholesterolaemia and hypertriglyceridaemia. 84% had high values of LDL-cholesterol and 59% HDL-cholesterol levels below the reference values, 78% high levels of fasting glycemia, 76% glycohemoglobin and 57% fibrinogen and thus subject to cardiovascular risk. The results showed a high frequency of cardiovascular risk factors, differing according to sex and the age.

Plasma lipid profile of experimentally induced hyperlipidemic New Zealand white rabbits is not affected by resveratrol

Hyperlipidemia is well recognized as an important risk factor in the development of atherosclerosis. Low-density lipoproteins (LDL) are components of cholesterol that are highly associated to an increased risk of cardiovascular diseases. Hypercholesterolemia induces proteolytic and oxidative changes in vasculature, leading to a local inflammatory response. Since dietary antioxidants have attracted considerable attention as preventive and therapeutic agents, the polyphenolic compound resveratrol seems to play an important role in prevention of human atherosclerosis. Researches show that resveratrol inhibits LDL oxidation and platelet aggregation, as well as vascular prolifer ation of smooth muscle cells. However, recent findings in animal models reveal conflicting results regarding its effects on plasma lipid levels. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effect of resveratrol on plasma biochemistry profile in New Zealand white rabbits submitted to a hypercholesterolemic diet. Twenty healthy, male, adult New Zealand white rabbits were fed with ordinary diet for one week before being divided into four treatment groups, containing five animals each. Group CT received maintenance diet; group R received maintenance diet and resveratrol (3mg/kg/day) given orally; group CL received maintenance diet enriched with 1.5% cholesterol; and group CR received maintenance diet enriched with 1.5% cholesterol and resveratrol (3mg/kg/day) given orally. During the experiment, from each animal, samples of 3mL venous blood were collected in heparin twice monthly for measurements of total cholesterol, triglycerides, and low- and high-density lipoproteins. The data analysis revealed that resveratrol did not have a hypolipidemic effect in experimentally induced hypercholesterolemic New Zealand white rabbits.

Razão triglicérides/HDL-C e proteína C reativa de alta sensibilidade na avaliação do risco cardiovascular

Introduction: Calculated indexes from laboratory measurements and the determination of plasma markers are commonly used in cardiovascular risk assessment. Objective: To use triglycerides/high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) ratio, estimate of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) particle size and high sensitive C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) levels to the clinical and laboratorial assessment of coronary risk among patients with coronary disease. Material and methods: Sixty patients were chosen accordingly, 36 female (F) (65 ± 9 years of age) and 24 male (M) (55 ± 10 years of age) diagnosed with stable ischemic cardiopathy at Ana Neri Hospital, Salvador, Bahia, Brazil. The investigation was carried out at the Clinical Biochemistry Laboratory of the College of Pharmacy at Federal University of Bahia (UFBA). Blood samples were collected after a 12-hour fast to determine hs-CRP, lipid profile and risk indicators. All data were assessed through Syncron LX®20 Beckman Coulter. The inferential analysis results were considered significant when p ≤ 5%. Data analysis was carried out with GraphPad Prism® (4.03 version) software. Results: Data analysis showed a positive correlation between hs-CRP and triglycerides/HDL-C ratio only among women (r = 0.4; p = 0.0442), n = 36. The analysis of other parameters did not show any significance. Conclusion: The triglycerides/HDL-C ratio and hs-CRP may be used as indicators of increase in cardiovascular risk among women with coronary artery disease (CAD).

Avaliação do perfil lipídico entre indivíduos com hepatite C

Metabolic profiles correlate with hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection and are prognostic for the viral response. However, little is known about the association between lipid profiles and viral load in chronic patients carrying HCV genotypes 1, 2 and 3. The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of the viremia and viral genotype on lipid metabolism by observing the variations in serum lipoprotein and apolipoprotein B, to assess whether HCV predisposes individuals to lipid imbalance and favors the appearance of vascular complications. A sample group of 150 chronic HCV patients with viral genotypes 1, 2 or 3 and a control group of 20 healthy adults (10 men and 10 women), all aged from 20 to 50 years were studied. The serum lipid profile of the chronic patients was analyzed and compared to that of the control group. The high-density lipoprotein (HDL), very low-density lipoprotein (VLDL) and triglyceride levels of the sample group were lower than those of the control group, while the low-density lipoprotein (LDL) and apolipoprotein B levels of the patients were higher. These differences were more significant in patients carrying genotype 3a. There was a positive correlation between the viremia and the changes in apolipoprotein B levels in patients carrying genotype 1b. It was inferred that the risk of developing vascular complications raised in HCV patients. As 90% of LDL protein is composed of apolipoprotein B, the plasmatic concentration of the latter indicates the number of potentially atherogenic particles. Therefore, the lipid profile monitoring may aid in the diagnosis of hepatic infection severity and equally act as a good prognostic marker.

Pathological and behavioral risk factors for higher serum c-reactive protein concentrations in free-living adults - A Brazilian community-based study

Low-grade chronic systemic inflammation is often associated with chronic non-communicable diseases, and its most frequently used marker, the C-reactive protein (CRP), has become an identifier of such diseases as well as an independent predictor for cardiovascular disorders and mortality. CRP is produced in response to pro-inflammatory signaling and to individual and behavioral factors, leading to pathological states. The aim of this study was to rank the predicting factors of high CRP concentrations in free-living adults from a community-based sample. We evaluated 522 adults (40-84 years old; 381 women) for anthropometric characteristics, dietary intake, clinical and physical tests, and blood analysis. Subjects were assigned to groups, according to CRP concentrations, as normal CRP (G1;<3.0 mg/L; n = 269), high CRP (G2; 3.0-6.0 mg/L; n = 139), and very high CRP (G3; >6.0 mg/dL; n = 116). Statistical comparison between groups used one-way ANOVA or Kruskal-Wallis tests, and prediction of altered values in increasing CRP was evaluated by proportional hazard models (odds ratio). CRP distribution was influenced by gender, body mass index, body and abdominal fatness, blood leukocytes, and neutrophil counts. The higher CRP group was discriminated by the above variables in addition to lower VO2max, serum metabolic syndrome components (triglycerides, glucose, and HDL cholesterol), higher insulin, homeostasis assessment of insulin resistance, uric acid, gamma-GT, and homocysteine. After adjustments, only fatness, blood leukocytes, and hyperglycemia remained as independent predictors for increased serum CRP concentrations. Intervention procedures to treat low-grade chronic inflammation in overweight women would mainly focus on restoring muscle mass and functions in addition to an antioxidant-rich diet. © 2012 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC.

Different tools for estimating cardiovascular risk in Brazilian postmenopausal women

Objective: To compare estimation of cardiovascular risk using the Framinghan Risk Score (FRS) and the presence of the metabolic syndrome (MetS) in postmenopausal women to prevent primary cardiovascular disease (CVD). Methods: This cross-sectional study included 497 Brazilian women (aged 45 years and amenorrhea >12months). Cardiovascular risk was calculated using the FRS that includes age, total cholesterol, HDL, systolic blood pressure and smoking status. Women showing three or more of the following criteria were diagnosed with MetS: waist circumference (WC) >88cm, blood pressure 130/85mmHg, triglycerides 150mg/dl, HDL<50mg/dl and glucose 100mg/dl. For statistical analysis, the Chi-square, Fisher's exact, and logistic regression (odds ratio-OR) were used. Results: The mean age was 55.3±7.0 years and time since menopause 7.2±5.9 years. Based on FRS, 72.4% of women were classified as low-risk, 16.5% moderate risk and 11.1% a high-risk. MetS was identified in 40% of the women, and 46.2% were considered of moderate risk for CVD, while 84.9% of those without MetS were classified as low-risk (p<0.001). The risk for CVD increased significantly with age at menopause (OR1.10; 95% CI, 1.04-1.17), time since menopause (OR1.13; 95% CI, 1.08-1.18), elevated triglycerides (OR1.03; 95% CI, 1.0-1.10) and presence of MetS (OR1.72; 95% CI 1.48-1.84). Conclusions: By using only FRS to estimate cardiovascular risk, a substantial number of postmenopausal women showing evidence of MetS were not identified, even though women with MetS are at higher risk of CVD. © 2013 Informa UK Ltd.

Morfologia e morfometria do arco aórtico de colehos com ateroma induzido e tratados com resveratol, como modelo experimental na prevenção da aterosclerose: perfil lipídico sérico

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Redução da lipemia e da glicemia em indivíduos adultos com consumo diário de suco de laranja integral pasteurizado

Pós-graduação em Alimentos e Nutrição - FCFAR

Planejamento, síntese e avaliação farmacológica de novos compostos 1,2,5-oxadiazol-2-n-óxido úteis como preventivos de aterotrombose

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Efeitos do treino concorrente e suplementação com taurina sobre composição corporal e perfil lipídico em mulheres pós menopausa

Pós-graduação em Ciências da Motricidade - IBRC

Biochemical and nutritional evaluation of patients with visceral leishmaniasis before and after treatment with leishmanicidal drugs

Introduction Visceral leishmaniasis (VL) is caused by the intracellular protozoan Leishmania donovani complex. VL may be asymptomatic or progressive and is characterized by fever, anemia, weight loss and the enlargement of the spleen and liver. The nutritional status of the patients with VL is a major determinant of the progression, severity and mortality of the disease, as it affects the clinical progression of the disease. Changes in lipoproteins and plasma proteins may have major impacts in the host during infection. Thus, our goal was evaluate the serum total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein (HDL), low-density lipoprotein (LDL), triglycerides, glucose, albumin, globulin and total protein levels, as well as the body composition, of VL patients before and after treatment. Methods Nutritional evaluation was performed using the bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) to assess body composition. Biochemical data on the serum total cholesterol, HDL, LDL, triglycerides, glucose, albumin, globulin and total protein were collected from the medical charts of the patients. Results BIA indicated that both pre-treatment and post-treatment patients exhibited decreased phase angles compared to the controls, which is indicative of disease. Prior to treatment, the patients exhibited lower levels of total body water compared to the controls. Regarding the biochemical evaluation, patients with active VL exhibited lower levels of total cholesterol, HDL, LDL and albumin and higher triglyceride levels compared to patients after treatment and the controls. Treatment increased the levels of albumin and lipoproteins and decreased the triglyceride levels. Conclusions Our results suggest that patients with active VL present biochemical and nutritional changes that are reversed by treatment.

Early and current physical activity: relationship with intima-media thickness and metabolic variables in adulthood

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)