Effects of dietary fat amount and saturation on the regulation of hepatic mRNA and plasma apolipoprotein A-I in rats.

The effects of the amount of dietary fat and saturation together with cholesterol both on hepatic apolipoprotein A-I gene mRNA levels and on plasma levels of this apolipoprotein were studied in male rats. To achieve these goals, seven groups of male Wistar rats were established: control group (n=5) consuming chow diet; cholesterol group (n=4) fed on a chow diet containing 0.1% (w/w) cholesterol; coco group (n=5) fed on a chow diet containing 0.1% (w/w) cholesterol and 40% coconut oil; corn group (n=5) fed on a chow diet containing 0.1% (w/w) cholesterol and 40% corn oil; and three olive groups consuming a chow diet containing 0.1% (w/w) cholesterol and percentages of 5 (n=5), 10 (n=4) and 40% (n=5), respectively, of olive oil. Animals were kept on these diets for 2 months and then sacrificed for lipoprotein, apolipoprotein and hepatic mRNA analysis. Dietary cholesterol by itself was hypercholesterolemic when compared to chow diet, an effect that was mainly due to an increase in LDL-cholesterol. Corn oil had a hypocholesterolemic action, whether compared to chow or to cholesterol diet, due to a reduction in HDL-cholesterol as well as LDL-cholesterol. HDL-cholesterol levels of 40% olive oil diet were lower than those corresponding to coconut oil and higher than those found in corn oil diet. When compared to control or cholesterol diets, plasma apoA-I concentration appeared significantly increased in coconut and 40% olive oil diets. Coconut oil or corn oil diets did not induce any significant change in apoA-I mRNA compared to control or cholesterol diets. Compared to cholesterol diet, 40 and 10% olive oil diets induced a significant increase in the expression of this message. A positive and significant (r=0.97, P<0.01) correlation between plasma apolipoprotein A-I concentration and its hepatic mRNA, was observed when the amount of dietary olive oil was 40% (w/w). A significant negative (r=-0.97, P<0.01) correlation was found in the corn oil group and no significant association was observed in the remaining groups. Based on the increased plasma levels in coconut oil and in high percentage olive oil diets, and the differences between these two diets for mRNA expression, it can be concluded that different fatty acid containing diets regulate apolipoprotein A-I through different mechanisms, and these mechanisms could be modulated by the fat intake.

Nutritional assessment, health markers and lipoprotein profile in postmenopausal women belonging to a closed community.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the dietary characteristics of a closed community and their relationship with several health markers and lipid and lipoprotein values in postmenopausal women. DESIGN: Energy and nutrient intake, serum lipids, lipoproteins, antioxidants, peroxides and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) peroxides in addition to several health markers were measured in a closed, postmenopausal female community consuming a diet without meat, meat products and alcoholic beverages. SETTING: Departamento de Nutrición and Sección Departamental de Química Analítica and Escuela de Especialización de Análisis Clínicos, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Spain and Lerma, Burgos, Spain. RESULTS: Cereals, vegetables, legumes and fruit, together with milk and eggs, constituted the most important ingredients of the diet consumed. Dietary carbohydrates contributed 42%en and lipids 46.4%en. The SFA/MUFA/PUFA ratio was 1/2/1 and the n-3/n-6 ratio 0.05 (SFA=saturated fatty acids, MUFA=monounsaturated fatty acids, PUFA=polyunsaturated fatty acids). The study community diet was monotonous and made for possible deficiencies of iron, magnesium, zinc, vitamin B(6) and vitamin D, in variable proportions. Routine biochemical and haematological normality markers indicate that only one woman presented hyperglycaemia and hyperuricaemia. Two women had haemoglobin levels <12 g/dl, but their mean corpuscular volume or mean corpuscular haemoglobin was normal. The prevalence of high cholesterol values (>6.21 mmol/l) was 42.8%, while that of high LDL-cholesterol levels (>3.88 mmol/l) was 35.7%, but none of the women displayed levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL)-cholesterol <1.16 mmol/l, triglycerides >1.2 mmol/l or an LDL-cholesterol/HDL-cholesterol ratio>3. Only one woman had apolipoprotein (Apo) B levels >1.5 g/l, while most of the women presented Apo B values <1.2 g/l and an ApoA-1/ApoB ratio &<1.1. Plasma and LDL-peroxide levels, together with the tocopherol and carotene intakes, suggest a good antioxidant status in this population. CONCLUSIONS: The diet of the study group seems compatible with a healthy life-profile and permits a more-than-acceptable degree of cardiovascular disease protection. However, the consumption of certain nutrients should be improved.

Treatment of experimental visceral leishmaniasis with amphotericin B in stable albumin microspheres.

Hydrophilic albumin microspheres are proposed as a new delivery system for amphotericin B (AMB; AMB microspheres). The acute toxicity of AMB microspheres was lower than that of the AMB-deoxycholate (AMB-Doc) reference formulation in hamsters. Lethal doses in healthy and infected animals were improved at least eight times. Intravenous bolus administration of doses of AMB microspheres up to 40 mg/kg of body weight did not produce acute symptoms of toxicity. The efficacy of this new formulation was tested against Leishmania infantum-infected hamsters at doses of 2, 10, 20, and 40 mg/kg. With the 2-mg/kg dose, the activity of AMB, as assessed through the parasite load reductions in the liver and spleen and the evolution of antibody levels, was also improved (P < 0.05) by use of the AMB microsphere system. At the higher doses of 10, 20, and 40 mg/kg, reductions in parasite levels of more than 99% were achieved in the liver and spleen after the administration of AMB microspheres. A pharmacokinetic study was performed to study the serum, liver, and spleen AMB concentrations after administration of AMB microspheres and the reference formulation. Interestingly, a significant accumulation of AMB in the spleen and liver was observed after AMB microsphere administration. Our results suggest that this new formulation is a promising alternative to the conventional AMB-Doc formulation for the treatment of visceral leishmaniasis.

[Sexual violence and related problems in women attending a health care center]. / Violencia sexual y problemas asociados en una muestra de usuarias de un centro de salud.

OBJECTIVE: To estimate the frequency of different forms of sexual violence and its association with mental health problems, such as depressive symptoms, suicidal ideation and attempt, and alcohol and drug use. MATERIAL AND METHODS: From February to March 1998, a cross-sectional study was conducted among 345 women attending a healthcare center in Mexico City. All women were living with a partner/spouse at the time of the study. The proportions of three different types of sex life were obtained and compared with the chi-squared test. RESULTS: Nineteen per cent of women reported that they had been sexually fondled against their will at least once in their lifetime, 11% had been raped, and 5% had been forced to touch the sex organs of another person against their will. One in every five women reported that they had experienced sexual violence in the context of an intimate relationship. An association was found between some forms of sexual violence and depression, suicidal ideation, suicide attempts, and use of psychoactive drugs. CONCLUSIONS: Sexual violence is a severe public health problem that requires implementing specific programs to sensitize and train healthcare providers to prevent it.

Enfermedad de Chagas: persistente produccion de una glicoproteina de linfocitos T en pacientes tratados con agentes anti Trypanosoma cruzi. / Chagas' disease: persistent production of a glycoprotein of T-lymphocytes in patients treated with antiTrypanosoma cruzi agents

Alto numero de linfocitos T circulantes en pacientes con enfermedad de Chagas son ricos en una sustancia PAS-positiva citoplasmatica (PASPLS), que reacciona como glicoproteina. En el presente trabajo se demuestra que esa sustancia (PASPLS) esta presente tambien en linfocitos de pacientes chagasicos que fueron tratados con drogas anti Trypanosoma cruzi varios anos antes de este estudio. Se hallo que todos mostraron un alto numero de linfocitos circulantes poseedores de PASPLS, tal como los chagasicos no tratados. La correlacion con otros datos del seguimiento de los pacientes tratados sugiere que la intensa actividad PASPLS-productora descrita como caracteristica de Chagas seria mantenida a traves de memoria inmunologica una vez iniciado el fenomeno. Ademas, se registro un avance o, en ciertos casos, la aparicion de manifestaciones clinicas de Chagas, en varios de los tratados con los agentes anti Trypanosoma cruzi, aunque sus parasitemias se negativizaron en todos y en varios casos desaparecieron ademas los anticuerpos anti Trypanosoma cruzi fijadores del complemento. Se estima que sera de interes ampliar la discusion sobre esas evidencias cuando esten disponibles mas datos sobre el fenomeno de PASPLS-produccion en Chagas