Immunometabolic and Vascular Health Responses among High Endurance Trained Subjects.

In this study, we aimed to examine the impact of high endurance training on vascular health parameters and immune-endocrine responses against modified low-density lipoprotein (LDL) particles. This observational, cross-sectional study included high endurance-trained and healthy non-trained subjects. Vascular ultrasound was used to assess vascular health parameters based on carotid intima-media thickness and endothelial function (flow-mediated dilation). Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays were used to measure interleukin (IL)-8 and IL-10, autoantibody isotypes anti-oxidized LDL (oxLDL) and anti-apolipoprotein B (ApoB-D) peptide. Plasma levels of the corticosterone and 17 α-hydroxyprogesterone hormones were analyzed by mass spectrometry. This study enrolled 96 subjects, of whom 44 were high endurance trained and 52 were healthy non-trained individuals. Smaller carotid intima-media thickness values were observed in the high-endurance trained than in the healthy non-trained males, while no differences were observed between female groups. Flow-mediated dilation measurements did not differ by training or sex. The humoral immune responses to IgG anti-oxLDL and IgM anti-ApoB-D autoantibodies showed an isotype imbalance between the high-endurance trained and the non-trained groups. Immunoendocrine parameters showed inverse correlations between 17 α-hydroxyprogesterone concentrations and carotid intima-media thickness measurements. Direct correlations were found between IL-10 concentrations and flow-mediated dilation measurements. Chronic high-endurance exercise modulates immune-endocrine and vascular health parameters, in a sex-dependent manner.

Evaluation of two highly effective lipid-lowering therapies in subjects with acute myocardial infarction.

For cardiovascular disease prevention, statins alone or combined with ezetimibe have been recommended to achieve low-density lipoprotein cholesterol targets, but their effects on other lipids are less reported. This study was designed to examine lipid changes in subjects with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) after two highly effective lipid-lowering therapies. Twenty patients with STEMI were randomized to be treated with rosuvastatin 20 mg QD or simvastatin 40 mg combined with ezetimibe 10 mg QD for 30 days. Fasting blood samples were collected on the first day (D1) and after 30 days (D30). Lipidomic analysis was performed using the Lipidyzer platform. Similar classic lipid profile was obtained in both groups of lipid-lowering therapies. However, differences with the lipidomic analysis were observed between D30 and D1 for most of the analyzed classes. Differences were noted with lipid-lowering therapies for lipids such as FA, LPC, PC, PE, CE, Cer, and SM, notably in patients treated with rosuvastatin. Correlation studies between classic lipid profiles and lipidomic results showed different information. These findings seem relevant, due to the involvement of these lipid classes in crucial mechanisms of atherosclerosis, and may account for residual cardiovascular risk.Randomized clinical trial: ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT02428374, registered on 28/09/2014.

Green-banana biomass consumption by diabetic patients improves plasma low-density lipoprotein particle functionality.

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of 6-months consumption of green-banana biomass on the LDL particle functionality in subjects with type 2 diabetes. Subjects (n = 39, mean age 65 years old) of both sexes with diabetes (HbA1c ≥ 6·5%) were randomized to receive nutritional support plus green-banana biomass (40 g) (n = 21) or diet alone (n = 18) for 6-months. Non-linear optical responses of LDL solutions from these participants were studied by Z-scan technique. UV-visible spectrophotometer was used to measure the absorbance of the LDL samples. Small Angle X-ray Scattering and Dynamic Light Scattering experiments were used to look for any structural changes in LDL samples and to determine their size distribution. The Lipoprint test was used to determine the LDL sub-fractions in terms of distribution and size. Consumption of green-banana biomass, reduced total- (p = 0.010), non-HDL-cholesterol (p = 0.043), glucose (p = 0.028) and HbA1c (p = 0.0007), and also improved the protection of the LDL particle against oxidation, by the increase in carotenoids content in the particles (p = 0.007). This higher protection against modifications may decrease the risk of developing cardiovascular disease. These benefits of the green-banana biomass encourage the use of resistant starches with potential clinical applications in individuals with pre-diabetes and diabetes.

Effect of surfactant alkyl chain length on lyotropic uniaxial to biaxial cholesteric phase transitions.

Some ionic surfactant-based lyotropic mixtures, exhibiting cholesteric phases, were prepared to investigate the effect of the surfactant alkyl chain length on a) uniaxial-to-biaxial phase transitions and b) stabilization of different cholesteric phases. Potassium alkanoates, KCx, (potassium undecanoate, KC11, potassium dodecanoate, KC12, and potassium tridecanoate, KC13) were chosen as the surfactant molecules. The lyotropic mixtures, which were composed of KCx/potassium sulfate (K2SO4)/decanol (DeOH)/water/brucine, where brucine is a chiral dopant molecule, were studied. Partial phase diagrams were constructed to show how the surfactant alkyl chain affects the phase topologies in the phase diagrams. It was observed that the presence of a longer surfactant alkyl chain in the mixture favors the stabilization of the larger discotic cholesteric, ChD, and cholesteric biaxial, ChB, phase domains. The phase transitions from the uniaxial cholesteric to biaxial cholesteric phase were shifted to lower temperatures.

Effect of head-group size of some tetradecylalkylammonium bromide surfactants on obtaining the lyotropic biaxial nematic phase.

Lyotropic quaternary mixtures of some tetradecylalkylammonium bromide surfactants were prepared to examine the effect of the size of the surfactant head group on the stabilization of different lyotropic nematic phases. The lyotropic mixtures were prepared by the addition of the tetradecylalkylammonium bromides (TTAABr) in the mixture of NaBr/decanol (DeOH)/water. The uniaxial to biaxial nematic phase transitions were determined via laser conoscopy. Some micellization parameters such as critical micelle concentration, degree of counterion binding and micellization Gibbs energy were evaluated from the electrical conductivity measurements of diluted binary surfactants/water solutions. The results indicate that the head-group size of the surfactant molecules influences the amphiphilic molecular aggregate topology. Moreover, the effective area per surfactant head group is a key parameter on stabilizing the lyotropic biaxial nematic phase.

Effects of two lipid lowering therapies on immune responses in hyperlipidemic subjects.

AIMS: To compare the effects of two of the most effective lipid-lowering therapies with similar LDL-cholesterol reduction capacity on the innate and adaptive immune responses through the evaluation of autoantibodies anti-oxidized LDL (anti-oxLDL Abs) and electronegative LDL [LDL(-)] levels. MAIN METHODS: We performed a prospective, randomized, open label study, with parallel arms and blinded endpoints. One hundred and twelve subjects completed the study protocol and received rosuvastatin 40 mg or ezetimibe/simvastatin 10/40 mg for 12 weeks. Lipids, apolipoproteins, LDL(-), and anti-oxLDL Abs (IgG) were assayed at baseline and end of study. KEY FINDINGS: Main clinical and laboratory characteristics were comparable at baseline. Lipid modifications were similar in both treatment arms, however, a significant raise in anti-oxLDL Abs levels was observed in subjects treated with rosuvastatin (p=0.026 vs. baseline), but not in those receiving simvastatin/ezetimibe. (p=0.233 vs. baseline), thus suggesting modulation of adaptive immunity by a potent statin. Titers of LDL(-) were not modified by the treatments. SIGNIFICANCE: Considering atherosclerosis as an immune disease, this study adds new information, showing that under similar LDL-cholesterol reduction, the choice of lipid-lowering therapy can differently modulate adaptive immune responses.

New Lyotropic Mixtures with Non-Chiral N-Acylamino Acid Surfactants Presenting the Biaxial Nematic Phase Investigated by Laser Conoscopy, Polarized Optical Microscopy and X-ray Diffraction.

Amino acid-based surfactants were used as the main surfactants to prepare new lyotropic mixtures presenting three nematic phases. One of them is biaxial (NB), and the two others are uniaxial, discotic (ND) and calamitic (NC). These surfactants were the non-chiral molecules, potassium N-dodecanoyl-DL-alaninate (DL-KDDA), potassium N-dodecanoyl-DL-serinate (DL-KDDS), disodium N-dodecanoyl-DL-aspartate (DL-NaDDAs) and potassium N-dodecanoyl-glycinate (KDDGly). Measurements of the optical birefringences and X-ray diffraction analysis were used to characterize the nematic phases and phase transitions. Mixtures with DL-KDDS exhibited the largest biaxial phase domain (~9 °C) with respect to the other mixtures in this study. The results obtained with the KDDGly mixture showed that the existence of hydrogen bonding between the head groups of the surfactant molecules seems to hinder the orientation of the micelles under the action of an external magnetic field.

Study of tryptophan lifetime fluorescence following low-density lipoprotein modification.

In this paper we report the effects of the irradiation of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) by ultra-short laser pulses to obtain in vitro alterations mimicking proatherogenic modifications occurring in vivo in LDL. The modifications by metallic ions (copper and iron) and ultra-short laser pulses were studied by fluorescence steady state and time-resolved lifetime measurements. The results demonstrate that the modifications caused by ultra-short laser pulses and by iron affect the tryptophan residues of apolipoprotein B-100 (Apo-B), slightly decreasing fluorescent lifetimes, with almost no modifications in pre-exponential factors, indicating preservation of structural properties around the fluorophore. On the other hand, oxidation by copper strongly affects the Apo-B protein associated with LDL. We describe a fast, inexpensive, and nondestructive fluorescence-based method that is readily accessible to provide the LDL particle characterization.