Short-Term and Mid-Term Blood Pressure Variability and Long-Term Mortality.

Until recently, there has been a focus on exploring the influence of average blood pressure (BP) on risk of mortality. We go beyond average BP to also investigate mortality risk with respect to variation in BP over 2 timescales-short-term variation among multiple measures at 1 visit, and medium-term variation among the measures at 2 visits several months apart. We present an application of Bayesian hierarchical modeling to the problem of estimating the effect of BP variability on all-cause and cardiovascular mortality.

The Impact of Sugar-Sweetened Beverage Consumption on the Liver: A Proteomics-based Analysis.

Cardiometabolic complications such as the metabolic syndrome and Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) are major causes of global morbidity and mortality. As sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) are implicated in this process, this study aimed to obtain greater mechanistic insights. Male Wistar rats (~200 g) were gavaged with a local SSB every day for a period of six months while the control group was gavaged with an iso-volumetric amount of water.

Corrigendum to "The impact of sugar-sweetened beverage intake on rat cardiac function" [Heliyon 5 (3) (March 2019) e01357].

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.

The impact of sugar-sweetened beverage intake on rat cardiac function.

Aims: Although there is evidence linking sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) intake with the development of cardio-metabolic diseases, the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. The current study therefore evaluated the effects of SSB consumption by establishing a unique in-house experimental model.

Main Methods: Male Wistar rats were divided into two groups: a) one consuming a popular local SSB (SSB- Jive), and b) a control group (Control-water) for a period of three and six months (n = 6 per group), respectively.

Kolaviron and Garcinia kola Seed Extract Protect Against Ischaemia/Reperfusion Injury on Isolated Rat Heart.

Background: The incidence of cardiovascular diseases and its associated complications have increased greatly in the past three decades. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the acute cardioprotective effects of Garcinia kola (GK) seed extract and Kolaviron (KV) and determine mechanisms of action involving RISK signalling pathways.

Methods: Male Wistar rats were used in this study.

Traditional Birth Attendant reorientation and Motherpacks incentive's effect on health facility delivery uptake in Narok County, Kenya: An impact analysis.

Background: A community health programme in Narok County in Kenya aimed to improve skilled birth assistance during childbirth through two demand side interventions. First, traditional birth attendants (TBAs) were co-opted into using their influence to promote use of skilled birth attendants (SBAs) at health facilities during delivery, and to accompany pregnant women to health facilities in return for a Ksh500 (Approximately USD5 as of August 2016) cash incentive for each pregnant mother they accompanied. Secondly, a free Motherpack consisting of a range of baby care items was given to each mother after delivering at a health facility.

Kolaviron, a biflavonoid of seed mitigates ischemic/reperfusion injury by modulation of pro-survival and apoptotic signaling pathways.

Objective: The study was designed to investigate the ameliorative effect of Kolaviron (KV) on ischemic/reperfusion injury in experimental animal models.

Materials And Methods: Male Wistar rats were randomly divided into two groups: Group 1 received corn oil as a vehicle and rats in Group 2 were administered KV at 200 mg/kg for 4 weeks. The rats were fed with rat standard chow pellet and water administered .

Daunorubicin therapy is associated with upregulation of E3 ubiquitin ligases in the heart.

Daunorubicin (DNR) and doxorubicin (DOX) are two of the most effective anthracycline drugs known for the treatment of systemic neoplasms and solid tumors. However, their clinical use is hampered due to profound cardiotoxicity. The mechanism by which DNR injures the heart remains to be fully elucidated.

Dietary red palm oil supplementation decreases infarct size in cholesterol fed rats.

Background And Aims: The effect of red palm oil (RPO) supplementation on infarct size after ischaemia/reperfusion in a cholesterol enriched diet-induced hyperlipidemic animal model has not been reported. Previous studies reported results on the effect of RPO in a normal diet, whilst evidence of protection has been linked to improved functional recovery, prosurvival kinase, anti-apoptosis and NO-cGMP. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the effects of dietary RPO supplementation in a cholesterol-enriched diet-induced hyperlipidemic rat model and to investigate the involvement of matrix metalloproteinase 2 (MMP2) inhibition as a possible mechanism of protection.

Dietary red palm oil supplementation reduces myocardial infarct size in an isolated perfused rat heart model.

Background And Aims: Recent studies have shown that dietary red palm oil (RPO) supplementation improves functional recovery following ischaemia/reperfusion in isolated hearts. The main aim of this study was to investigate the effects of dietary RPO supplementation on myocardial infarct size after ischaemia/reperfusion injury. The effects of dietary RPO supplementation on matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP2) activation and PKB/Akt phosphorylation were also investigated.

Proposed mechanisms for red palm oil induced cardioprotection in a model of hyperlipidaemia in the rat.

High-cholesterol diets alter myocardial and vascular NO-cGMP signaling and have been implicated in ischaemic/reperfusion injury. We investigated the effects of dietary red palm oil (RPO) containing fatty acids, carotonoids, tocopherols and tocotrienols on myocardial ischaemic tolerance and NO-cGMP pathway function in the rat. Wistar rats were fed a standard rat chow+/-RPO, or a standard rat chow+cholesterol+/-RPO diet.