Background: Statins are strong inhibitors of cholesterol biosynthesis and help to prevent cardiovascular disease. They also exert additional pleiotropic effects that include an anti-inflammatory action and are independent of cholesterol, but the molecular mechanisms underlying these additional effects have remained unclear. We have now examined the effects of atorvastatin on cardiac and adipose tissue inflammation in DahlS.Z-Lepr/Lepr (DS/obese) rats, which we previously established as a model of metabolic syndrome (MetS).
Methods And Results: DS/obese rats were treated with atorvastatin (6 or 20mgkgday) from 9 to 13weeks of age. Atorvastatin ameliorated cardiac fibrosis, diastolic dysfunction, oxidative stress, and inflammation as well as adipose tissue inflammation in these animals at both doses. The high dose of atorvastatin reduced adipocyte hypertrophy to a greater extent than did the low dose. Atorvastatin inhibited the up-regulation of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ gene expression in adipose tissue as well as decreased the serum adiponectin concentration in DS/obese rats. It also activated AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) as well as inactivated nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) in the heart of these animals. The down-regulation of AMPK and NF-κB activities in adipose tissue of DS/obese rats was attenuated and further enhanced, respectively, by atorvastatin treatment.
Conclusions: The present results suggest that the anti-inflammatory effects of atorvastatin on the heart and adipose tissue are attributable at least partly to increased AMPK activity and decreased NF-κB activity in this rat model of MetS.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ijcard.2017.04.103 | DOI Listing |
J Biomed Opt
January 2025
Texas A&M University, Department of Biomedical Engineering, College Station, Texas, United States.
Significance: Accurate values of skin optical properties are essential for developing reliable computational models and optimizing optical imaging systems. However, published values show a large variability due to a variety of factors, including differences in sample collection, preparation, experimental methodology, and analysis.
Aim: We aim to explore the influence of storage conditions on the optical properties of the excised skin from 400 to 1100 nm.
Amyloid β (Aβ) has emerged as a pathophysiological driver in age-related macular degeneration (AMD), emphasizing its significance in the aetiology of this prevalent sight-threatening condition. The multifaceted nature of AMD pathophysiology, presumably involving diverse retinal cascades, corresponds with the complexity of Aβ-induced retinopathy. Therefore, targeting a broad array of pathogenic processes holds promise for therapeutic intervention in AMD-associated retinal pathology.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFFront Physiol
January 2025
National Key Laboratory of Human Factors Engineering, China Astronaut Research and Training Center, Beijing, China.
Skeletal muscle (SKM) has crucial roles in locomotor activity and posture within the body and also functions have been recognized as an actively secretory organ. Numerous bioactive molecules are secreted by SKM and transported by extracellular vesicles (EVs), a novel class of mediators of communication between cells and organs that contain various types of cargo molecules including lipids, proteins and nucleic acids. SKM-derived EVs (SKM-EVs) are intercellular communicators with significant roles in the crosstalk between SKM and other organs.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEndocrinology
January 2025
Australian National University School of Medicine and Psychology, Australian National University, Acton, ACT, 0200, Australia.
Context: The obesity epidemic parallels an increasing type 1 diabetes incidence, such that westernized diets, containing high fat, sugar and/or protein, through inducing nutrient-induced islet beta-cell stress, have been proposed as contributing factors. The broad-spectrum neutral amino acid transporter (B0AT1), encoded by Slc6a19, is the major neutral amino acids transporter in intestine and kidney. B0AT1 deficiency in C567Bl/6J mice, causes aminoaciduria, lowers insulinemia and improves glucose tolerance.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEur J Med Res
January 2025
Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Jiujiang University Clinical Medical College (Jiujiang University Affiliated Hospital), Jiujiang, 332006, China.
Purpose: This study aims to investigate the influence of multifidus muscle fat infiltration on clinical outcomes in lumbar disc herniation (LDH) undergoing percutaneous endoscopic lumbar discectomy (PELD).
Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted on 224 patients who underwent lateral PELD, with complete one-year follow-up data. Patients were divided into two groups based on preoperative MRI evaluation of L4 multifidus muscle fat infiltration: a mild group (< 25%) and a severe group (≥ 25%).
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