Update of HDL in atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease.

Epidemiologic evidence supported an inverse association between HDL (high-density lipoprotein) cholesterol (HDL-C) levels and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD), identifying HDL-C as a major cardiovascular risk factor and postulating diverse HDL vascular- and cardioprotective functions beyond their ability to drive reverse cholesterol transport. However, the failure of several clinical trials aimed at increasing HDL-C in patients with overt cardiovascular disease brought into question whether increasing the cholesterol cargo of HDL was an effective strategy to enhance their protective properties. In parallel, substantial evidence supports that HDLs are complex and heterogeneous particles whose composition is essential for maintaining their protective functions, subsequently strengthening the "HDL quality over quantity" hypothesis.

The gut microbiome dysbiosis is recovered by restoring a normal diet in hypercholesterolemic pigs.

Background: Gut microbiota is thought to modulate cardiovascular risk. However, the effect of cardiovascular primary prevention strategies on gut microbiota remains largely unknown. This study investigates the impact of diet and rosuvastatin interventions on gut microbiota composition in hypercholesterolemic pigs and associated potential changes in host metabolic pathways.

Hypercholesterolemia-Induced HDL Dysfunction Can Be Reversed: The Impact of Diet and Statin Treatment in a Preclinical Animal Model.

High-density lipoproteins (HDL) undergo adverse remodeling and loss of function in the presence of comorbidities. We assessed the potential of lipid-lowering approaches (diet and rosuvastatin) to rescue hypercholesterolemia-induced HDL dysfunction. Hypercholesterolemia was induced in 32 pigs for 10 days.

Supplementation With Spirulina Reduces Infarct Size and Ameliorates Cardiac Function in a Pig Model of STEMI.

Myocardial infarction (MI) is the clinical manifestation of atherosclerotic coronary artery disease. Spirulina is an algae known to ameliorate cardiometabolic disorders and with proven anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant effects. We investigated, in a highly translatable animal model, whether oral supplementation with spirulina protects against the deleterious effects triggered by ST-elevation MI (STEMI).

Unraveling the Complexity of HDL Remodeling: On the Hunt to Restore HDL Quality.

Increasing evidence has cast doubt over the HDL-cholesterol hypothesis. The complexity of the HDL particle and its proven susceptibility to remodel has paved the way for intense molecular investigation. This state-of-the-art review discusses the molecular changes in HDL particles that help to explain the failure of large clinical trials intending to interfere with HDL metabolism, and details the chemical modifications and compositional changes in HDL-forming components, as well as miRNA cargo, that render HDL particles ineffective.

Revisiting β-Catenin Signaling in T-Cell Development and T-Cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia.

β-Catenin/CTNNB1 is critical for leukemia initiation or the stem cell capacity of several hematological malignancies. This review focuses on a general evaluation of β-catenin function in normal T-cell development and T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL). The integration of the existing literature offers a state-of-the-art dissection of the complexity of β-catenin function in leukemia initiation and maintenance in both Notch-dependent and independent contexts.