Estimating the Potential Health Care Cost-Savings from a Flax-Based Treatment for Hypertension.

Hypertension contributes to the increase in health care spending in Canada through two primary mechanisms. First, it directly increases costs, as individuals with hypertension require medical care to manage the condition. Second, it indirectly raises expenses by serving as a risk factor for numerous chronic diseases, leading to increased health care utilization among those affected.

Beneficial Effects of Dietary Flaxseed on Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease.

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), a significant cause of chronic liver disease, presents a considerable public health concern. Despite this, there is currently no treatment available. This study aimed to investigate dietary flaxseed in the JCR:LA-corpulent rat strain model of NAFLD.

Considerations for choosing an optimal animal model of cardiovascular disease.

The decision to use the optimal animal model to mimic the various types of cardiovascular disease is a critical one for a basic scientist. Clinical cardiovascular disease can be complex and presents itself as atherosclerosis, hypertension, ischemia/reperfusion injury, myocardial infarcts, and cardiomyopathies, amongst others. This may be further complicated by the simultaneous presence of two or more cardiovascular lesions (for example, atherosclerosis and hypertension) and co-morbidities (i.

Physiological and Pathological Considerations for the Use of Flaxseed as a Therapeutic Dietary Strategy.

The inclusion of flaxseed in the diet may have a great number of potential benefits for the well-being of both healthy individuals and those challenged by disease conditions as well. With an increase in the number and quality of studies focused on the physiological and pathophysiological effects of dietary flaxseed, our knowledge concerning the rationale for the inclusion of flaxseed in our diet has become more convincing and stronger. The purpose of this review is threefold.

The Remaining Conundrum of the Role of the Na/H Exchanger Isoform 1 (NHE1) in Cardiac Physiology and Pathology: Can It Be Rectified?

The mammalian exchanger (NHE) is a family of ubiquitous membrane proteins present in humans. Isoform one (NHE1) is present on the plasma membrane and regulates intracellular pH by removal of one intracellular proton in exchange for one extracellular sodium thus functioning as an electroneutral process. Human NHE1 has a 500 amino acid membrane domain plus a C-terminal 315 amino acid, regulatory cytosolic tail.

The Plasma Oxylipidome Links Smoking Status to Peripheral Artery Disease.

Peripheral artery disease (PAD) is prevalent among individuals with a history of tobacco smoking. Although oxidation of lipids may contribute to atherogenesis in vascular disease, enzymatically and nonenzymatically produced oxidized lipids can have varying and contrasting physiological effects. The underlying mechanisms of atherogenic vulnerability can be better elucidated with the recent advances in oxylipidome quantification using HPLC-MS/MS technology.

Bacteria and the growing threat of multidrug resistance for invasive cardiac interventions.

Invasive cardiovascular procedures which include heart transplantations, congenital heart surgery, coronary artery bypass grafts, cardiac valve repair and replacement, and interventional cardiac electrophysiology procedures represent common mechanisms to treat a variety of cardiovascular diseases across the globe. The majority of these invasive approaches employ antibiotics as a regular and obligatory feature of the invasive procedure. Although the growing incidence of bacterial resistance to currently used antibiotics threatens to curtail the use of all interventional surgical techniques, it remains an underappreciated threat within the arsenal of cardiovascular therapies.

Molecular dynamics modeling of the Vibrio cholera Na-translocating NADH:quinone oxidoreductase NqrB-NqrD subunit interface.

The Na-translocating NADH:quinone oxidoreductase (Na-NQR) is the major Na pump in aerobic pathogens such as Vibrio cholerae. The interface between two of the NQR subunits, NqrB and NqrD, has been proposed to harbor a binding site for inhibitors of Na-NQR. While the mechanisms underlying Na-NQR function and inhibition remain underinvestigated, their clarification would facilitate the design of compounds suitable for clinical use against pathogens containing Na-NQR.

Dietary flaxseed reduces Myocardial Ischemic Lesions, improves cardiac function and lowers cholesterol levels despite the presence of severe obesity in JCR:LA-cp Rats.

Previous work has shown that dietary flaxseed can significantly reduce cardiac damage from a coronary artery ligation-induced myocardial infarction. However, this model uses healthy animals and the ligation creates the infarct in an artificial manner. The purpose of this study was to determine if dietary flaxseed can protect the hearts of JCR:LA-cp rats, a model of genetic obesity and metabolic syndrome, from naturally occurring myocardial ischemic lesions.

A Brief Review on the Biology and Effects of Cellular and Circulating microRNAs on Cardiac Remodeling after Infarction.

Despite advances in diagnostic, prognostic, and treatment modalities, myocardial infarction (MI) remains a leading cause of morbidity and mortality. Impaired cellular signaling after an MI causes maladaptive changes resulting in cardiac remodeling. MicroRNAs (miRNAs/miR) along with other molecular components have been investigated for their involvement in cellular signaling in the pathogenesis of various cardiac conditions like MI.

The Influence of Diet and Sex on the Gut Microbiota of Lean and Obese JCR:LA- Rats.

There is an increased interest in the gut microbiota as it relates to health and obesity. The impact of diet and sex on the gut microbiota in conjunction with obesity also demands extensive systemic investigation. Thus, the influence of sex, diet, and flaxseed supplementation on the gut microbiota was examined in the JCR:LA- rat model of genetic obesity.

The Impact of Nutrition on the COVID-19 Pandemic and the Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Nutrition.

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has had significant morbidity, mortality, social and financial implications for the global population. Despite this knowledge, we still know very little about how COVID-19 infection affects quality of life resulting from changes in nutritional behaviour and, conversely, how nutrition could modulate the epidemiology of COVID-19. In addition, the social isolation most have experienced due to the regulations imposed by governments during the COVID-19 pandemic may have also had effects on our nutritional behaviour.

Oxidized phosphatidylcholines trigger ferroptosis in cardiomyocytes during ischemia-reperfusion injury.

Myocardial ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury increases the generation of oxidized phosphatidylcholines (OxPCs), which results in cell death. However, the mechanism by which OxPCs mediate cell death and cardiac dysfunction is largely unknown. The aim of this study was to determine the mechanisms by which OxPC triggers cardiomyocyte cell death during reperfusion injury.

Cardioprotective Effects of Dietary Flaxseed Post-Infarction Are Associated with Changes in MicroRNA Expression.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs/miRs) such as miR-1, miR-133a, miR-133b, miR-135a, and miR-29b play a key role in many cardiac pathological remodeling processes, including apoptosis, fibrosis, and arrhythmias, after a myocardial infarction (MI). Dietary flaxseed has demonstrated a protective effect against an MI. The present study was carried out to test the hypothesis that dietary flaxseed supplementation before and after an MI regulates the expression of above-mentioned miRNAs to produce its cardioprotective effect.

Unexpected challenges for the translation of research on food interventions to applications in the food industry: using flaxseed research as an example.

One of the primary purposes of the studies that life science researchers carry out is to translate their findings into demonstrable impacts in the lives of the general population. If we study the mechanism of heart disease, for example, it is our hope that new therapies or preventative strategies can be created from these mechanistic data. In the field of nutrition, it is the ultimate goal to translate research findings on the health benefits of functional foods and nutraceuticals into products consumed by the public that will benefit their health, improve quality of life, prevent disease, and prolong life.

The Cardioprotective Role of Flaxseed in the Prevention of Doxorubicin- and Trastuzumab-Mediated Cardiotoxicity in C57BL/6 Mice.

Background: Although the combination of doxorubicin (DOX) and trastuzumab (TRZ) reduces the progression and recurrence of breast cancer, these anticancer drugs are associated with significant cardiotoxic side effects.

Objective: We investigated whether prophylactic administration of flaxseed (FLX) and its bioactive components, α-linolenic acid (ALA) and secoisolariciresinol diglucoside (SDG), would be cardioprotective against DOX + TRZ-mediated cardiotoxicity in a chronic in vivo female murine model.

Methods: Wild-type C57BL/6 female mice (10-12 wk old) received daily prophylactic treatment with one of the following diets: 1) regular control (RC) semi-purified diet; 2) 10% FLX diet; 3) 4.

Dietary flaxseed protects against ventricular arrhythmias and left ventricular dilation after a myocardial infarction.

Dietary omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 PUFAs) have been associated with a lower incidence of cardiovascular events and sudden cardiac death. Flaxseed is a rich plant source of n-3 PUFAs and can retard the progression and accelerate the regression of atherosclerotic plaques. The aim of the study was to examine the preventive and therapeutic effects of dietary flaxseed on arrhythmias and heart dysfunction that develops after a myocardial infarction (MI).

Overcoming the Bitter Taste of Oils Enriched in Fatty Acids to Obtain Their Effects on the Heart in Health and Disease.

Fatty acids come in a variety of structures and, because of this, create a variety of functions for these lipids. Some fatty acids have a role to play in energy metabolism, some help in lipid storage, cell structure, the physical state of the lipid, and even in food stability. Fatty acid metabolism plays a particularly important role in meeting the energy demands of the heart.

Dietary Flaxseed as a Strategy for Improving Human Health.

Flaxseed is a rich source of the omega-3 fatty acid, alpha linolenic acid, the lignan secoisolariciresinol diglucoside and fiber. These compounds provide bioactivity of value to the health of animals and humans through their anti-inflammatory action, anti-oxidative capacity and lipid modulating properties. The characteristics of ingesting flaxseed or its bioactive components are discussed in this article.

Phospholipid oxidation products in ferroptotic myocardial cell death.

Cell death is an important component of the pathophysiology of any disease. Myocardial disease is no exception. Understanding how and why cells die, particularly in the heart where cardiomyocyte regeneration is limited at best, becomes a critical area of study.

The Influence of Diet on MicroRNAs that Impact Cardiovascular Disease.

Food quality and nutritional habits strongly influence human health status. Extensive research has been conducted to confirm that foods rich in biologically active nutrients have a positive impact on the onset and development of different pathological processes, including cardiovascular diseases. However, the underlying mechanisms by which dietary compounds regulate cardiovascular function have not yet been fully clarified.

Ginseng Berry Extract Rich in Phenolic Compounds Attenuates Oxidative Stress but not Cardiac Remodeling post Myocardial Infarction.

The cardioprotective effects of ginseng root extracts have been reported. However, nothing is known about the myocardial actions of the phenolic compounds enriched in ginseng berry. Therefore, this study was undertaken to investigate the effects of American ginseng berry extract (GBE) in an experimental model of myocardial infarction (MI).

Dietary flaxseed: what we know and don't know about its effects on cardiovascular disease.

Flaxseed (Linum usitatissimum) is composed of a unique combination of bioactive components that appear to generate, through either an isolated or a synergistic action, a significant beneficial effect on the cardiovascular system. With a significant increase in the generation of data on the dietary impact of flaxseed on the cardiovascular system, a review of where we stand - what we know and what we still need to understand about these effects on the heart and the vasculature - was thought to be of value and the rationale for this paper. For example, although we now know how to deliver the bioactives most efficiently (oil versus ground seed versus whole seed), we do not know how different foods can influence that delivery.

Do different nuclei in a binucleated cardiomyocyte have different rates of nuclear protein import?

The functional significance of having two nuclei in a cell is unknown. Having two stores of genetic material may be advantageous for cell growth. Nuclear protein import is at a critical juncture in the cell to modify cell growth.

Oxidized lipids: not just another brick in the wall .

Over the past decade, there has been intense investigation in trying to understand the pathological role that oxidized phospholipids play in cardiovascular disease. Phospholipids are targets for oxidation, particularly during conditions of excess free radical generation. Once oxidized, they acquire novel roles uncharacteristic of their precursors.