Estudio piloto sobre el efecto de Policol(R) One en la hipercolesterolemia leve-moderada / Efeito de Policol(R) One na redução dos níveis de hipercolesterolémia ligeira a moderada / Effect of Policol(R) One in the reduction of midhigh cholesterol levels

Los niveles elevados de colesterol en sangre representan uno de los factores de riesgo más críticos a nivel mundial para el desarrollo de enfermedades cardiovasculares. En este artículo se presentan los resultados de un estudio observacional prospectivo que evaluó la eficacia y seguridad del producto Policol(R) One para reducir el la hipercolesterolemia leve-moderada. El producto se compone de extracto de levadura roja de arroz (Monascus purpureus), policosanol, coenzima Q10 y plantas consideradas tradicionalmente como hipolipemiantes y hepatoprotectoras: extractos de gugul (Commiphora mukul), alcachofera (Cynara scolymus), diente de león (Taraxacum officinale) y polvo de alpiste (Phalaris canariensis). A dosis de 1 cápsula al día durante 3 meses, los participantes redujeron significativamente sus niveles de colesterol total (16,8%) y colesterol-LDL (23,8%); reduciendo también los triglicéridos (13,4%) e incrementando el colesterol-HDL (9,1%). No se observaron efectos adversos en ningún caso. Estos resultados demuestran que el producto es eficaz y seguro para la reducción del colesterol leve-moderado, y podría suponer un complemento a otros tratamientos para estos pacientes (AU)

Os altos níveis de colesterol sérico representam um dos fatores de risco mais críticos no desenvolvimento de doenças cardiovasculares em todo o mundo. Neste trabalho, são apresentados os resultados de um estudo observacional prospectivo sobre a eficácia e segurança do produto Policol(R) One para reduzir a hipercolesterolémia ligeira a moderada. O produto contém arroz vermelho fermentado (Monascus purpureus), policosanol (extraído de Saccharum officinarum), coenzima Q10 e plantas tradicionalmente utilizadas como hipolipemiantes e hepatoprotetoras (guggul (extrato seco de resina de Commiphora mukul), alpiste (semente de Phalaris canariensis), alcachofra (extrato seco de folha de Cynara scolymus) e dente de leão (extrato seco de raiz de Taraxacum officinale)). Com uma dosagem de 1 cápsula por dia durante 3 meses, os participantes reduziram significativamente o seu colesterol total (16,8%) e LDL-colesterol (23,8%), reduzindo igualmente os níveis de triglicéridos (13,4%) e aumentando os níveis de colesterol HDL (9,1%). Não existiram relatos de efeito adversos. Estes resultados indicam que o produto é eficaz e seguro para reduzir os níveis de colesterol ligeiro a moderado e pode representar um complemento de outros tratamentos para esses doentes (AU)

High serum-cholesterol levels represent one of the most critical risk factors in the development of cardiovascular diseases all over the world. In this paper, the results of an observational prospective study on the efficacy and safety of the product Policol(R) One to reduce low-moderate hypercholesterolemia are shown. The product contains red yeast rice (Monascus purpureus), policosanol, coenzyme Q10 and hypolipidemic and hepatoprotective plants used in folk medicine: extracts of guggul (Commiphora mukul), artichoke (Cynara scolymus) and dandelion (Taraxacum officinale), and birdseed powder (Phalaris canariensis). At a dosage of 1 capsule per day for 3 months, the participants significantly reduced their total cholesterol (16,8%) and LDL-cholesterol (23,8%); with an additional decrease in levels (13,4%) and increasing their HDL-cholesterol levels (9,1%). No side effects were reported in any case. These results indicate that the product is effective and safe to reduce low-moderate cholesterol levels, and it may represent a natural complement to other treatments for these patients (AU)

Tracking bacterial virulence: global modulators as indicators.

The genomes of Gram-negative bacteria encode paralogues and/or orthologues of global modulators. The nucleoid-associated H-NS and Hha proteins are an example: several enterobacteria such as Escherichia coli or Salmonella harbor H-NS, Hha and their corresponding paralogues, StpA and YdgT proteins, respectively. Remarkably, the genome of the pathogenic enteroaggregative E. coli strain 042 encodes, in addition to the hha and ydgT genes, two additional hha paralogues, hha2 and hha3. We show in this report that there exists a strong correlation between the presence of these paralogues and the virulence phenotype of several E. coli strains. hha2 and hha3 predominate in some groups of intestinal pathogenic E. coli strains (enteroaggregative and shiga toxin-producing isolates), as well as in the widely distributed extraintestinal ST131 isolates. Because of the relationship between the presence of hha2/hha3 and some virulence factors, we have been able to provide evidence for Hha2/Hha3 modulating the expression of the antigen 43 pathogenic determinants. We show that tracking global modulators or their paralogues/orthologues can be a new strategy to identify bacterial pathogenic clones and propose PCR amplification of hha2 and hha3 as a virulence indicator in environmental and clinical E. coli isolates.

The incC Sequence Is Required for R27 Plasmid Stability.

IncHI plasmids account for multiple antimicrobial resistance in Salmonella and other enterobacterial genera. These plasmids are generally very stable in their bacterial hosts. R27 is the archetype of IncHI1 plasmids. A high percentage of the R27-encoded open reading frames (ORFs) (66.7%) do not show similarity to any known ORFs. We performed a deletion analysis of all non-essential R27 DNA sequences to search for hitherto non-identified plasmid functions that might be required for plasmid stability. We report the identification of a short DNA sequence (incC) that is essential for R27 stability. That region contains several repeats (incC repeats), belongs to one of the three-plasmid replicons (R27 FIA-like) and is targeted by the R27 E protein. Deletion of the incC sequence drastically reduces R27 stability both in Escherichia coli and in Salmonella, the effect being more pronounced in this latter species. Interfering with incC-E protein interaction must lead to a reduced IncHI1 plasmid stability, and may represent a new approach to combat antimicrobial resistance.