lower-cholesterol-11.matches:
lower cholesterol
Effect of immune deficiency on lipoproteins and atherosclerosis in male apolipoprotein E-deficient mice.

Reardon CA, Blachowicz L, White T, Cabana V, Wang Y, Lukens J, Bluestone J, Getz GS.

Department of Pathology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA.

To determine whether T cells and B cells influence lipid metabolism and atherosclerosis, we crossed apolipoprotein E-deficient (apoE degrees ) mice with recombination activating gene 2-deficient (RAG2 degrees ) mice. Total plasma cholesterol levels were approximately 20% higher in male apoE degrees mice compared with the apoE degrees RAG2 degrees mice at 8 weeks of age, and plasma triglyceride levels were 2.5-fold higher in the apoE degrees mice even when plasma cholesterol levels were similar. Male mice with plasma cholesterol levels between 400 and 600 mg/dL at 8 weeks of age were euthanized at 27 and 40 weeks of age. The aortic root lesion area in the apoE degrees RAG2 degrees mice, compared with that in the immune-competent apoE degrees mice, was 81% and 57% smaller at 27 and 40 weeks of age, respectively. In contrast, there was no difference in the size of the brachiocephalic trunk lesions. Similar results were obtained with mice euthanized at 40 weeks of age that had 8-week cholesterol levels between 300 and 399 mg/dL. In apoE degrees RAG2 degrees mice, aortic root atherosclerosis was more profoundly suppressed at lower cholesterol levels. Thus, T and B cells and their products differentially influence the development of atherosclerosis at different sites. We also demonstrate a profound effect of the immune system on plasma lipid homeostasis.

Online source: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=11397712&dopt=Abstract lower cholesterol



lower-cholesterol-2.matches:
lower cholesterol
Serum concentrations of lipids and apolipoproteins in normal and hyperemetic pregnancies.

Ustun Y, Engin-Ustun Y, Dokmeci F, Soylemez F.

Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Ankara University Faculty of Medicine, Ankara, Turkey.

OBJECTIVE: Hyperemesis gravidarum (HEG) is intractable nausea and vomiting. The purpose of this study was to test the hypothesis that women with HEG have lower cholesterol and triglyceride levels, to find any role in the etiology of reduced risk of spontaneous abortion in hyperemetic patients. STUDY DESIGN: The study group consisted of 39 women with normal ongoing pregnancy and 35 women with HEG. The concentrations of triglycerides, high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, total cholesterol and apolipoprotein (apo)-A and -B were analyzed. The independent-samples t test, Mann-Whitney U test, chi2 test, Kruskal-Wallis variance analysis and Spearman's correlation were used to examine differences between groups. RESULTS: Serum HDL cholesterol, LDL cholesterol and total cholesterol, apo-A and apo-B were higher in normal pregnancies compared with hyperemetic pregnancies. There were no significant differences in apo-B/apo-A, HDL cholesterol/apo-A and total cholesterol/HDL cholesterol ratios between the hyperemetic patients and controls. A negative correlation was found between total cholesterol and serum thyroxine level. CONCLUSION: We found decreased levels of total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, apo-A and apo-B in hyperemetic patients and the same spontaneous abortion rate in the two groups in our study.

Online source: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=15280117&dopt=Abstract lower cholesterol



lower-cholesterol-2.matches:
lower cholesterol
Lack of effect of sugar cane and sunflower seed policosanols on plasma cholesterol in rabbits.

Murphy KJ, Saint DA, Howe PR.

Nutritional Physiology Research Group, 1School of Health Sciences, University of South Australia, Australia 5000.

Background- Policosanol, a mixture of high molecular weight primary aliphatic alcohols from sugar cane (SCP), has been shown to be safe and effective at lowering blood cholesterol when administered in low (pharmacological) doses (5-20 mg/day) to experimental animals, healthy patients and patients with type II hypercholesterolemia. Objective- We attempted to see whether a similar product derived from winteriser cake containing policosanols during sunflower oil production (SFP) has cholesterol-lowering potential. Design- Normocholesterolemic rabbits were administered either a control oil (water/emulsifier/sunflower oil emulsion), 100 mg/kg SCP (Lesstanol(R), provided by Johnson & Barana) (in control) or 100 mg/kg SFP winteriser cake (provided by Goodman Fielder) (in control) by gavage at 48 hour intervals for 4 weeks. Fasting blood samples were taken for cholesterol (C) and triglyceride (TAG) analysis at weekly intervals from 1week beforehand. Outcomes- The table shows changes in plasma lipids between averaged pre- and post-treatment values. Food intake and body weight were unaffected by the treatments. Plasma low-density lipoprotein (LDL)-C increased and plasma TAG decreased in all groups following gavaging: hence there was no treatment effect of either policosanol. Conclusions- Our data do not confirm a ypocholesterolemic effect of policosanols extracted from either sunflower oil cake or sugar cane, even though a lower dose of SCP than used here (5 mg /day) has been reported to lower cholesterol in rabbits.

Online source: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=15294559&dopt=Abstract lower cholesterol



lower-cholesterol-2.matches:
lower cholesterol
Depression and lipoprotein lipids in healthy, postmenopausal women; the moderating effects of hormone replacement therapy.

Brown RA, Giggey PP, Dennis KE, Waldstein SR.

School of Nursing, The Pennsylvania State University, 209 HHD-E, University Park, PA 16802, USA. rab16 psu.edu

OBJECTIVE: Naturally occurring low cholesterol levels have been related to increased depressive symptoms in studies conducted predominantly in men. However, depression is more common among women, may increase during the menopause, and may be impacted by hormone replacement therapy (HRT). We therefore examined the potential interactive relation of depressive symptoms and HRT status to lipoprotein lipids among postmenopausal women. METHODS: Seventy healthy, postmenopausal women (ages 50-70; 36% receiving HRT) completed the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale and provided two fasting blood samples for assessment of lipoprotein lipids. RESULTS: Following statistical adjustment for age, body mass index (BMI), HRT status, and depressive symptoms, the interaction of depression and HRT explained 16% variance in total cholesterol and 17% variance in low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (Ps<.01). Greater levels of depressive symptoms were associated with lower cholesterol levels only among women who were not taking HRT. CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that HRT may buffer associations between naturally occurring low cholesterol levels and increased symptoms of depression in postmenopausal women.

Online source: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=15465072&dopt=Abstract lower cholesterol



lower-cholesterol-3.matches:
lower cholesterol
Atorvastatin reduces neurological deficit and increases synaptogenesis, angiogenesis, and neuronal survival in rats subjected to traumatic brain injury.

Lu D, Goussev A, Chen J, Pannu P, Li Y, Mahmood A, Chopp M.

Department of Neurosurgery, Henry Ford Health Sciences Center, Detroit, MI 48202, USA.

Statins administered postischemia promote functional improvement in rats, independent of their capability to lower cholesterol. We therefore tested the effect of statin treatment on traumatic brain injury (TBI) in rats. Atorvastatin was orally administered (1 mg/kg/day) to Wistar rats starting 1 day after TBI for 7 consecutive days. Control animals received saline. Modified Neurological Severity Scores and Corner tests were utilized to evaluate functional response to treatment. Bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU, 100 mg/kg) was also intraperitoneally injected daily for 14 consecutive days to label the newly generated endothelial cells. Rats were sacrificed at day 14 after TBI, and the brain samples were processed for immunohistochemical staining. Atorvastatin administration after brain injury significantly reduced the neurological functional deficits, increased neuronal survival and synaptogenesis in the boundary zone of the lesion and in the CA3 regions of the hippocampus, and induced angiogenesis in these regions. The results suggest that atorvastatin may provide beneficial effects in experimental TBI.

Online source: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=14987462&dopt=Abstract lower cholesterol



lower-cholesterol-3.matches:
lower cholesterol
Statins Augment Collateral Growth in Response to Ischemia But They Do Not Promote Cancer and Atherosclerosis.

Sata M, Nishimatsu H, Osuga JI, Tanaka K, Ishizaka N, Ishibashi S, Hirata Y, Nagai R.

Departments of Cardiovascular Medicine, Urology, Metabolic Diseases, University of Tokyo Graduate School of Medicine, Japan; Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Department of Medicine, Jichi Medical School, Tochigi, Japan; and PRESTO, Japan Science and Technology Agency, Kawaguchi, Saitama, Japan.

3-Hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme A reductase inhibitors, or statins, are widely prescribed to lower cholesterol. Recent reports suggest that statins may promote angiogenesis in ischemic tissues. It remains to be elucidated whether statins potentially enhance unfavorable angiogenesis associated with tumor and atherosclerosis. Here, we induced hind limb ischemia in wild-type mice by resecting the right femoral artery and subsequently inoculated cancer cells in the same animal. Cerivastatin enhanced blood flow recovery in the ischemic hind limb as determined by laser Doppler imaging, whereas tumor growth was significantly retarded. Cerivastatin did not affect capillary density in tumors. Cerivastatin, pitavastatin, and fluvastatin inhibited atherosclerotic lesion progression in apolipoprotein E-deficient mice, whereas they augmented blood flow recovery and capillary formation in ischemic hind limb. Low-dose statins were more effective than high-dose statins in both augmentation of collateral flow recovery and inhibition of atherosclerosis. These results suggest that statins may not promote the development of cancer and atherosclerosis at the doses that augment collateral flow growth in ischemic tissues.

Online source: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=15066955&dopt=Abstract lower cholesterol



lower-cholesterol-3.matches:
lower cholesterol
Comparison of cholesterol-lowering efficacy and anti-atherogenic properties of hydrogenated versus non-hydrogenated (Phytrol) tall oil-derived phytosterols in apo E-deficient mice.

Pritchard PH, Li M, Zamfir C, Lukic T, Novak E, Moghadasian MH.

Healthy Heart Program, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, St. Paul's Hospital and University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada.

The cholesterol-lowering and anti-atherogenic effects of non-hydrogenated (FCP-3P1 containing 69% beta-sitosterol, 16% sitostanol, and 13% campesterol) and hydrogenated (FCP-3P2 containing 77% sitostanol, 11% campestanol, and 8% beta-sitosterol) Phytrol trade mark have been compared in apo E-deficient mice. After consumption of 0.2% (w/w) cholesterol-enriched diet, the elevated plasma cholesterol levels observed in controls was significantly reduced by the addition of either 0.5%, 1% or 2% FCP-3P1 or FCP-3P2 at week 4. Compared to controls, the treatment of 0.5%, 1%, and 2% FCP-3P1 in the diet resulted in reduction in cholesterol concentrations by 33.6%, 46.8% and 52.4% at week 8, respectively, whereas the reduction in plasma cholesterol levels by 0.5%, 1%, and 2% FCP-3P2 was only 20.5%, 38.7% and 31.7% indicating lower cholesterol-lowering effect of the hydrogenated phytosterols at all doses as compared with non-hydrogenated phytosterols (FCP-3P1). By contrast, FCP-3P1 and FCP-3P2 showed comparable non-significant anti-atherogenic properties in treated animals after 14-week treatment. 0.5%, 1%, and 2% FCP-3P1 treated apo E-deficient mice had a mean aortic lesion area that was smaller than controls although the reduction of atherosclerotic lesions did not reach the statistical significance. In conclusion, this study did not show statistically significant differences between hydrogenated and non-hydrogenated plant sterols with regard to their cholesterol-lowering and anti-atherosclerotic properties in apo E-KO mice.

Online source: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=15107599&dopt=Abstract lower cholesterol



lower-cholesterol-3.matches:
lower cholesterol
Apple phytochemicals and their health benefits.

Boyer J, Liu RH.

Department of Food Science and Institute of Comparative and Environmental Toxicology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853-7201 USA. RL23 cornell.edu

Evidence suggests that a diet high in fruits and vegetables may decrease the risk of chronic diseases, such as cardiovascular disease and cancer, and phytochemicals including phenolics, flavonoids and carotenoids from fruits and vegetables may play a key role in reducing chronic disease risk. Apples are a widely consumed, rich source of phytochemicals, and epidemiological studies have linked the consumption of apples with reduced risk of some cancers, cardiovascular disease, asthma, and diabetes. In the laboratory, apples have been found to have very strong antioxidant activity, inhibit cancer cell proliferation, decrease lipid oxidation, and lower cholesterol. Apples contain a variety of phytochemicals, including quercetin, catechin, phloridzin and chlorogenic acid, all of which are strong antioxidants. The phytochemical composition of apples varies greatly between different varieties of apples, and there are also small changes in phytochemicals during the maturation and ripening of the fruit. Storage has little to no effect on apple phytochemicals, but processing can greatly affect apple phytochemicals. While extensive research exists, a literature review of the health benefits of apples and their phytochemicals has not been compiled to summarize this work. The purpose of this paper is to review the most recent literature regarding the health benefits of apples and their phytochemicals, phytochemical bioavailability and antioxidant behavior, and the effects of variety, ripening, storage and processing on apple phytochemicals.

Online source: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=15140261&dopt=Abstract lower cholesterol



lower-cholesterol-3.matches:
lower cholesterol
Animal model for in vivo evaluation of cholesterol reduction by lactic Acid bacteria.

Taranto MP, Perdigon G, Medici M, De Valdez GF.

Centro de Referencia para Lactobacilos-CONICET, Tucuman, Argentina.

For many years, it has been recognized that elevated serum cholesterol is a risk factor associated with atherosclerosis and coronary heart disease, the latter being a major cause of death in Western countries. Numerous drugs that lower cholesterol have been used to treat hypocholesterolemic individuals. However, the undesirable side effects of these compounds have caused concerns about their therapeutic use. Ingestion of probiotic (beneficial for health) lactic acid bacteria (LAB) would possibly be a more natural method to decrease serum cholesterol in humans, as has been was reported.Previous studies have demonstrated that Lactobacillus reuteri administered in low doses has a hypocholesterolemic effect both therapeutically and preventively. One of the key studies in the development of a probiotic is to determine the minimal effective dose of live microorganisms that might be ingested without producing adverse effects (i.e., translocation) in the host.In this chapter, we describe an animal model that allows us to evaluate reduction in hypercholesterolemia by LAB and, also to determine the minimal dose of the microorganism, a critical step in the development of a safe probiotic product.

Online source: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=15156052&dopt=Abstract lower cholesterol



lower-cholesterol-3.matches:
lower cholesterol
Statins augment collateral growth in response to ischemia but they do not promote cancer and atherosclerosis.

Sata M, Nishimatsu H, Osuga J, Tanaka K, Ishizaka N, Ishibashi S, Hirata Y, Nagai R.

Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, University of Tokyo Graduate School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan. msata-circ umin.ac.jp

3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme A reductase inhibitors, or statins, are widely prescribed to lower cholesterol. Recent reports suggest that statins may promote angiogenesis in ischemic tissues. It remains to be elucidated whether statins potentially enhance unfavorable angiogenesis associated with tumor and atherosclerosis. Here, we induced hind limb ischemia in wild-type mice by resecting the right femoral artery and subsequently inoculated cancer cells in the same animal. Cerivastatin enhanced blood flow recovery in the ischemic hind limb as determined by laser Doppler imaging, whereas tumor growth was significantly retarded. Cerivastatin did not affect capillary density in tumors. Cerivastatin, pitavastatin, and fluvastatin inhibited atherosclerotic lesion progression in apolipoprotein E-deficient mice, whereas they augmented blood flow recovery and capillary formation in ischemic hind limb. Low-dose statins were more effective than high-dose statins in both augmentation of collateral flow recovery and inhibition of atherosclerosis. These results suggest that statins may not promote the development of cancer and atherosclerosis at the doses that augment collateral flow growth in ischemic tissues.

Online source: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=15166180&dopt=Abstract lower cholesterol