Effects of alcohol on the major steps of reverse cholesterol transport.

The effects of moderate alcohol consumption on the capacity of blood sera to promote acceptance of cholesterol (C) from Fu5AH hepatoma cells, esterification of delivered free C, and transfer of produced cholesteryl esters to apolipoprotein (apo) B-containing lipoproteins have been studied. Twenty male subjects with relatively high (>50 mg/dl, n = 10) and low (<50 mg/dl, n = 10) high density lipoprotein (HDL) C levels consumed for eight weeks red grape wine (0.3 g ethanol/kg body mass per day). Alcohol consumption reduced total C and low density lipoprotein C levels in both groups of subjects. Low HDL C subjects showed an increase in HDL C, apo AI, apo AII, and lipoprotein (Lp) AI particle levels after alcohol consumption. Alcohol did not affect free C efflux from the cells. However, after the following period of substitution of alcohol with an isocaloric amount of red grape juice, cellular C efflux markedly reduced. While lecithin:cholesterol acyltransferase (LCAT) activity increased during alcohol consumption only in subjects with low HDL C, high HDL C subjects showed a significant decrease in cholesteryl ester transfer protein (CETP) activity. At the same time, alcohol consumption reduced the endogenous C esterification rate and increased the transfer of endogenous cholesteryl esters to apo B-containing lipoproteins in both groups. Thus, alcohol consumption in moderate doses enhanced the anti-atherogenicity of the serum lipoprotein spectrum, supporting more effective C efflux from peripheral cells and transport of accepted C to apo B-containing lipoproteins. The effects of alcohol on the reverse cholesterol transport depend on the initial HDL C level.

New-onset angina pectoris: initial characteristics and results of a 6 to 12-month follow-up.

173 patients, aged 46.8 years on the average, were examined in the first 3 months after onset of angina pectoris. 97% of them presented at least one of risk factors (smoking, arterial hypertension, overweight, dyslipoproteinaemia), in 79% two or more risk factors were present simultaneously. A greater than 70% stenosis of one coronary artery was present in 51%, in 10% the stenosis was smaller than 70%, in 4% the coronary arteries were intact. In 131 patients without a history of myocardial infarction, vasospastic angina, overweight, and simultaneous presence of 3 or 4 risk factors occurred more frequently than in 42 patients with a history of myocardial infarction. In the first month, complications were registered only in patients with unstable angina pectoris (5 out of 41, i.e., 12%). During the later period of follow-up in 102 patients, complications occurred in 5% and complete clinical remission was registered in 35%. In patients with remission, positive exercise tests and haemodynamically significant stenoses of 2 or 3 coronary arteries were less frequently found on initial examination than in patients with sustained angina pectoris.

The use of lipid indicators and indexes for assessment of ischaemic heart disease.

The informative value of various lipid indicators and indexes in healthy subjects and in patients with ischaemic heart disease (IHD) is compared. In 10 investigated biochemical indicators significant differences were found between healthy people and subjects with epidemiological or clinical signs of IHD. The first places in the order according to Anderson-Bahadur intervals were held by the cholesterol atherogenity index, total cholesterol (CS) and the percent of high-density lipoproteins cholesterol (HDL-CS) in total CS. The cholesterol atherogenity index and HDL-CS percent in total CS were closely correlated with the severity of angiographically proved changes in the coronary arteries.