The beneficial effects of virgin olive oil against oxidative stress induced by hypercholesterolemia in rats

Cardiovascular disease(CVD) remains the major cause of mortality in the world, typically claiming a third of all deaths. The primary cause of CVD is atherosclerosis. Therefore, timely prevention and therapy of atherosclerosis are able to reduce the risk of the development of its clinical manifestations. Anti-atherosclerotic activity of medicinal plants mainly appears in their multiple effects.This study was carried out to evaluate the hypolipidemic activity of virgin olive oil in experimentally induced hyperlipemic Wistar. A total of 24 rats were randomly allocated to 4 equal groups and treated as follows for 50 days: (1) Normal control (NC); that were fed with a standart diet; (2) High Cholesterol Diet Control (HCD); which received high cholesterol diet for 50 days; (3) Animals receiving high cholesterol diet for 50 days, after this period the animals are fed for eight days by the standard foodand receiving by gavage virgin olive oil (HCD+VOO) and(4) Animals fed for eight days with the standard food and receiving by gavage olive oil (VOO). High Cholesterol Diet containing yolk egg and coconut oil. Results showed that olive oil caused a significant (p < 0.01) reduction in serum levels of Total Cholesterol (TC), Triglycerides (TG), Low­Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol (LDL) and Atherogenic Index Serum (AIS). The results also demonstrated a significant (p < 0.01) increase in High­Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol (HDL). Moreover, virgin olive oil induced a significant reduction in liver lipid content. On the other hand, a High cholesterol diet induced oxidative stress was measured by estimating reduced glutathione level and amount of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) formed as an index of lipid peroxidation in a liver and a heart. Virgin olive oil supplementation attenuated all these variations. Our observations of the study indicate that the virgin olive oil has a significant antihyperlipidemic potential.

Protective effect of guabiju (Myrcianthes pungens (O. Berg) D. Legrand) and red guava (Psidium cattleyanum Sabine) against cisplatin-induced hypercholesterolemia in rats

The present study was the first to examine the protective effect and antioxidant potential of two fruits native to the south of Brazil, namely guabiju (Myrcianthes pungens (O. Berg) D. Legrand) and red guava (Psidium cattleyanum Sabine), with respect to reducing the effects of cisplatin-induced hypercholesterolemia in male Wistar rats. The cisplatin-treated animals showed high glucose, LDL cholesterol, oxidized LDL cholesterol and total cholesterol levels. These native fruits reversed the increase in these parameters. The fat levels in the liver improved with supplementation with the fruits, and there were no differences in the thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS), creatinine, urea or HDL cholesterol levels, nor in the weight of the organs analyzed, indicating that the dose used did not affect these markers.

O presente estudo foi o primeiro realizado para avaliar o efeito protetor e o potencial antioxidante de duas frutas nativas do sul do Brasil, conhecidas como Guabiju (Myrcianthes pungens (O. Berg) D. Legrand) e araçá vermelho (Psidium cattleyanum Sabine), em relação a reduzir os efeitos da hipercolesterolemia induzida pela cisplatina em ratos Wistar machos. Os animais tratados com a cisplatina apresentaram elevada taxa de glicose, altos níveis de colesterol LDL, colesterol LDL oxidado e colesterol total. Os frutos nativos atuaram protegendo os animais pela redução destes parâmetros. Os níveis de gordura no fígado melhoraram com a suplementação pelos frutos e não houve diferenças nas substâncias reativas ao ácido tiobarbitúrico (TBARS) e níveis de creatina, uréia e colesterol HDL e, também, no peso dos órgãos analisados, indicando que a dose utilizada não foi capaz de afetar tais marcadores.

Anticholesterol antibody: the way for reduction of hypercholesterolemia.

Antibodies specific to cholesterol was first reported in 1925. It may develop in the body naturally and it is believed that this antibody has a protective role against harmful forms of cholesterol, such as LDL & VLDL. An immunoglobulin protein, anticholesterol may be found in both circulation as well as digestive tract. Many studies have been done on anticholesterol antibody. Our immune system may produce anticholesterol antibodies in response to elevated levels of cholesterol rich particles, such as LDL & VLDL. It can be induced in animals by conjugating or incorporating the cholesterol antigen into a variety of structures. Immunization markedly decreases the risk of developing atherosclerosis. In comparison to non-tumorous normal subject, the antibody is found to be significantly higher in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Elevated anti-cholesterol antibodies might be applicable for the serodiagnosis of NSCLC. Some studies showed that LDL immunization induces T-cell dependent antibody formation that protects atherosclerosis. Origo Biosciences scientists had identified a dietary antibody to cholesterol. This protein, when ingested, binds to cholesterol in the human digestive tract and blocks its absorption into the bloodstream. These studies may lead to us to realize the importance of anticholesterol and to find the way for reduction of hypercholesterolemia and thereby reduction of morbidity and mortality.

Connections: can the 20th century coronary heart disease epidemic reveal something about the 1918 influenza lethality?

This essay proposes that the ecologic association shown between the 20th century coronary heart disease epidemic and the 1918 influenza pandemic could shed light on the mechanism associated with the high lethality of the latter. It suggests that an autoimmune interference at the apoB-LDL interface could explain both hypercholesterolemia and inflammation (through interference with the cellular metabolism of arachidonic acid). Autoimmune inflammation, then, would explain the 1950s-60s acute coronary events (coronary thrombosis upon influenza re-infection) and the respiratory failure seen among young adults in 1918. This hypothesis also argues that the lethality of the 1918 pandemic may have not depended so much on the 1918 virus as on an immune vulnerability to it, possibly resulting from an earlier priming of cohorts born around 1890 by the 1890 influenza pandemic virus.

Cetamina e analgesia preemptiva / Ketamine and preemptive analgesia

JUSTIFICATIVA E OBJETIVOS: Desde a descoberta de que a cetamina bloqueia os receptores NMDA nos neurônios do corno dorsal da medula, ela tem sido usada para inibir ou reduzir a sensibilização central provocada por estímulos nociceptivos. Assim, este trabalho visa mostrar aspectos farmacológicos da cetamina racêmica e de seu composto levogiro e seu emprego na analgesia preemptiva. CONTEUDO: São apresentados conceitos atuais sobre analgesia preemptiva, aspectos farmacológicos da cetamina e seu derivado levogiro, bem como estudos experimentais e clínicos sobre a cetamina e seu uso em analgesia preemptiva. CONCLUSÕES: Ainda não está totalmente comprovada a eficácia da cetamina em inibir ou reduzir a sensibilização central provocada por estímulos nociceptivos. Provavelmente isso se deva ao uso de diferentes métodos de estudo e de análise estatística.