Hyperlipoproteinaemia(a) in patients with spondyloarthritis: results of the Cardiovascular in Rheumatology (CARMA) project.

OBJECTIVES: Cardiovascular (CV) disease is one of the main causes of morbi-mortality in spondyloarthritis (SpA), partially explained by traditional CV risk factors. Information on lipoprotein(a) [Lp(a)], a non-conventional risk factor, in SpA is scarce. In this study we assessed the prevalence of hyperlipoproteinaemia(a) in SpA patients and analysed the possible related factors. METHODS: A baseline analysis was made of ankylosing spondylitis (AS) and psoriatic arthritis (PsA) patients and controls included in the CARMA project (CARdiovascular in RheuMAtology), a 10-year prospective study evaluating the risk of CV events in chronic inflammatory rheumatic diseases. A multivariate logistic regression model was performed using hyperlipoproteinaemia(a) (Lp(a) >50 mg/dl) as a dependent variable and adjusting for confounding factors. RESULTS: 19.2% (95% CI: 16.80-22.05) of the SpA patients [20.7% (95% CI: 16.91-24.82) of those with AS and 17.7% (95% CI: 14.15-21.75) of those with PsA] and 16.7% (95% CI: 13.23-20.86) of the controls had hyperlipoproteinaemia(a) (p=0.326). Adjusting for age and sex, SpA patients were more likely to have hyperlipoproteinaemia(a) than controls (OR: 1.43, 95%CI: 1.00-2.04; p=0.05), especially those with AS (OR: 1.81, 95%CI: 1.18-2.77; p=0.007). In the adjusted model, apolipoprotein B in all patients, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs in AS, and female sex in PsA, were associated with hyperlipoproteinaemia(a). No disease-specific factors associated with hyperlipoproteinaemia(a) were identified. CONCLUSIONS: SpA patients show a moderately increased risk of hyperlipoproteinaemia(a) compared to controls, especially those with AS. Lp(a) determination may be of interest to improve the CV risk assessment in SpA patients.

Stearidonic acid combined with alpha-linolenic acid improves lipemic and neurological markers in a rat model subject to a hypercaloric diet.

In this study, we hypothesized that terrestrial plant oils, rich in alpha linolenic acid (ALA) and stearidonic acid (SDA) relative to fish oil, rich in eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), prevent negative effects on cardiovascular and neurological function using a rat model fed a hypercaloric diet. Results showed effects on the FA profile, namely, eicosapentaenoic, EPA, and docosahexaenoic, DHA, levels. There were also effects on neural aspects (cAMP response element-binding protein, CREB, gene expression, at least, doubled) and the pro-inflammatory/anti-inflammatory balance (TNF-α, tumor necrosis factor alpha reduced by 30-50%). The most positive impact of ALA and SDA was the beneficial reduction of total lipids (from 395 ±â€¯3 to 352-361 mg/dL), VLDL-cholesterol (from 21.8 ±â€¯0.2 to 14.1-17.8 mg/dL), and triacylglycerols (from 109 ±â€¯1 to 71-89 mg/dL) in both LIN (diet enriched in linseed oil) and BUG (diet enriched in Buglossoides oil) groups. Overall, data indicate that ALA- and SDA-rich lipid sources may counteract the undesirable cardiovascular effects of a hypercaloric diet based on milk fat.

Phytochemical composition and in vitro anti-tumour activities of selected tomato varieties.

BACKGROUND: Previous studies indicated that tomato is a rich source of phytochemicals that act on different tumours. In this research, the phytochemical composition of selected tomato varieties was assessed by GLC and UHPLC/HPLC-MS, as well as their anti-tumour activities on HT-29 colorectal cancer cells. RESULTS: Significant differences were found among tomato varieties; lycopene was high in Racimo, phenolics in Pera, sterols in Cherry, and linoleic acid predominated in all varieties. The MTT and LDH assays showed significant time- and concentration-dependent inhibitory/cytotoxic effects of all tomato varieties on HT-29 cells. Furthermore, the joint addition of tomato carotenoids and olive oil to HT-29 cell cultures induced inhibitory effects significantly higher than those obtained from each of them acting separately, while no actions were exercised in CCD-18 normal cells. CONCLUSION: Tomato fruits constitute a healthy source of phytochemicals, although differences exist among varieties. In vitro, all of them inhibit colorectal cancer cell proliferation with Racimo variety at the top, and exercising a selective action on cancer cells by considering the lack of effects on CCD-18 cells. Furthermore, synergy was observed between olive oil and tomato carotenoids in inhibiting HT-29 cancer cell proliferation; conversely, phenolics showed no significant effects and hindered carotenoids actions. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry.

Various Acylglycerols from Common Oils Exert Different Antitumor Activities on Colorectal Cancer Cells.

Colorectal cancer is one of the leading causes of death in Western countries; therefore, the implementation of healthy dietary habits in order to prevent its occurrence is a desirable action. We show here that both free fatty acids (FFAs) and some acylglycerols induce antitumoral actions in the colorectal cancer cell line HT-29. We tested several C18 polyunsaturated fatty acid-enriched oils (e.g., sunflower and Echium) as well as other oils, such as arachidonic acid-enriched (Arasco®) and docosahexaenoic acid-enriched (Marinol® and cod liver oil), in addition to coconut and olive oils. The 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide test indicated inhibitory effects on HT-29 cells viability for FFAs, and monoacylglycerol and diacylglycerol (DAG) species, while the lactate dehydrogenase test proved that FFAs were the more effective species to induce membrane injury. Conversely, all species did not exhibit actions on CCD-18 normal human colon cells viability. Furthermore, transmission electron microscopy showed the presence of necrosis and apoptosis, while the monoacylglycerol lipase (MAGL) inhibition test demonstrated high activity for 2-monoacylglycerols derived from Arasco and sunflower oils. However, different monoacylglycerols and DAGs have also the potential for MAGL inhibition. Therefore, checking for activity on colon cancer cells of specifically designed acylglycerol-derivative species would be a suitable way to design functional foods destined to avoid colorectal cancer initiation.