Nicotinic acid and other therapies for raising high-density lipoprotein.

Purpose Of Review: The purpose of this review is to describe the high-density-lipoprotein-raising effect of nicotinic acid and the clinical effects of treatment on cardiovascular diseases, particularly in combination with statins. Other treatments for raising high-density lipoprotein, including changes in lifestyle, other drugs and infusions of 'synthetic' (reconstituted) high-density lipoprotein will be summarized.

Recent Findings: Treatment of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease with nicotinic acid and statin results in a pronounced increase of protective high-density lipoprotein cholesterol and reduces morbidity/mortality.

Assessment of production conditions for efficient use of Escherichia coli in high-yield heterologous recombinant selenoprotein synthesis.

The production of heterologous selenoproteins in Escherichia coli necessitates the design of a secondary structure in the mRNA forming a selenocysteine insertion sequence (SECIS) element compatible with SelB, the elongation factor for selenocysteine insertion at a predefined UGA codon. SelB competes with release factor 2 (RF2) catalyzing translational termination at UGA. Stoichiometry between mRNA, the SelB elongation factor, and RF2 is thereby important, whereas other expression conditions affecting the yield of recombinant selenoproteins have been poorly assessed.

Statins in the prevention and treatment of Alzheimer disease.

Vascular risk factors such as hypertension and hypercholesterolemia during midlife increase the risk for Alzheimer's disease (AD). Treatment of hypercholesterolemia and other vascular risk factors may have great implications in the prevention of AD. Recent findings illustrate that the sterol metabolism in the brain is an active process, well controlled and regulated by 24-hydroxylase, an enzyme that is uniquely expressed in the brain.