Long term effects of soluble endoglin and mild hypercholesterolemia in mice hearts.

Soluble endoglin (sEng) released into the circulation was suggested to be related to cardiovascular based pathologies. It was demonstrated that a combination of high sEng levels and long-term exposure (six months) to high fat diet (HFD) resulted in aggravation of endothelial dysfunction in the aorta. Thus, in this study, we hypothesized that a similar experimental design would affect the heart morphology, TGFβ signaling, inflammation, fibrosis, oxidative stress and eNOS signaling in myocardium in transgenic mice overexpressing human sEng.

Soluble endoglin and hypercholesterolemia aggravate endothelial and vessel wall dysfunction in mouse aorta.

Background And Aims: Increased plasma levels of soluble endoglin (sEng) were detected in patients with endothelial dysfunction-related disorders and hypercholesterolemia. In this study, we hypothesized that high levels of sEng accompanied by mild hypercholesterolemia could aggravate endothelial and vessel wall dysfunction and affect endoglin/eNOS signaling in mouse aorta.

Methods: Three-month-old female transgenic mice on CBAxC57BL/6J background, with high levels of sEng (Sol-Enghigh HFD), and their littermates with low levels of sEng (Sol-Englow HFD), were fed a high fat diet for six months.

Application of the comet assay method in clinical studies.

The comet assay or single-cell gel electrophoresis (SCGE) assay is now widely accepted as a standard method for assessing DNA damage in individual cells. It finds use in a broad variety of applications including human biomonitoring, genotoxicology, ecological monitoring and as a tool for investigation of DNA damage and repair in different cell types in response to a range of DNA-damaging agents. The comet assay should be eminently suitable for use in clinical practice since it is a relatively simple and inexpensive technique which requires only a few cells, and results can be obtained within a matter of hours.

A positive fluid balance does not deteriorate tissue metabolism during fluid resuscitation of sepsis.

Objective: Hypovolemia has occurs frequently in sepsis. Due to pathologically increased permeability of the capillaries, the fluid leaks to the interstitium. An adequate fluid therapy is the corner stone to achieve circulatory stabilization and sufficient tissue perfusion; on the other hand, according to the data from the literature a tissue swelling is associated with a risk of deteriorated function of the tissues.

Pravastatin modulates liver bile acid and cholesterol homeostasis in rats with chronic cholestasis.

Background And Aim: The administration of pravastatin to patients with cholestatic liver disease has suggested the potential of the drug with regard to reducing raised plasma cholesterol and bile acid levels. Information about the mechanisms associated with this effect is lacking. Thus, the aim of the present study is to evaluate pravastatin effects on the liver bile acid and cholesterol homeostasis in healthy and cholestatic rats.

Hypocholesterolemia in clinically serious conditions--review.

Background: Cholesterol is an essential component of cell membranes, precursor of steroids, biliary acids and other components of serious importance in live organism. Cholesterol synthesis is a complicated and energy-demanding process. Real daily need of cholesterol and mechanisms of decline cholesterol levels in critical ill are unknown.

Fluorometric assay of lipoperoxides and chromatographic analysis of alpha-tocopherol and fatty acids as biomarkers of risk from coronary atherosclerosis.

There has been growing interest in the quantitative determination of biochemical predictors of atherogenesis. The aim of the present study was to investigate association of lipoperoxidation biomarkers known to be pro-atherogenic (thiobarbituric acid reactive substance activity, TBARS) or anti-atherogenic (alpha-tocopherol) with the fatty acid status, and relate it to the coronary artery disease (CAD) as assessed by coronary angiography in patients with stable angina pectoris. We found that serum lipoproteins and TBARS did not differ significantly.

Effect of atorvastatin on non-cholesterol sterols in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus and cardiovascular disease.

An increased risk of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality in diabetes mellitus type 2 has been associated with disturbances of lipid homeostasis. Recently, decreased intestinal absorption of cholesterol and increased liver cholesterol production have been reported. To investigate the influence of cholesterol lowering therapy using statin on cholesterol turnover in diabetes mellitus type 2, the levels of non-cholesterol based sterols were studied.