Anacetrapib reduces progression of atherosclerosis, mainly by reducing non-HDL-cholesterol, improves lesion stability and adds to the beneficial effects of atorvastatin

Background The residual risk that remains after statin treatment supports the addition of other LDL-C-lowering agents and has stimulated the search for secondary treatment targets. Epidemiological studies propose HDL-C as a possible candidate. Cholesteryl ester transfer protein (CETP) transfers cholesteryl esters from atheroprotective HDL to...

Salsalate attenuates diet induced non-alcoholic steatohepatitis in mice by decreasing lipogenic and inflammatory processes

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Salsalate (salicylsalicylic acid) is an anti-inflammatory drug that was recently found to exert beneficial metabolic effects on glucose and lipid metabolism. Although its utility in the prevention and management of a wide range of vascular disorders, including type 2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome has been suggested...

No effects of atorvastatin (10 mg/d or 80 mg/d) on nitric oxide, prostacyclin, thromboxane and oxidative stress in type 2 diabetes mellitus patients of the DALI study

The present study describes the effects of atorvastatin on whole body synthesis of nitric oxide (NO), prostacyclin (PGI2), and thromboxane A2 (TxA2), on oxidative stress and nitrite/nitrate-related renal carbonic anhydrase (CA) activity in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). A double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled parallel...

Exploring the effects of galacto-oligosaccharides on the gut microbiota of healthy adults receiving amoxicillin treatment

In the present double-blind, randomised, parallel intervention study, the effects of the intake of galacto-oligosaccharides (GOS) on the gut microbiota of twelve healthy adult subjects (aged 18-45 years with a normal BMI (18-25 kg/m2)) receiving amoxicillin (AMX) treatment were determined. All the subjects were treated with AMX (375 mg; three...

Comparing high altitude treatment with current best care in Dutch children with moderate to severe atopic dermatitis (and asthma): Study protocol for a pragmatic randomized controlled trial (DAVOS trial)

Background: About 10 to 20% of children in West European countries have atopic dermatitis (AD), often as part of the atopic syndrome. The full atopic syndrome also consists of allergic asthma, allergic rhinitis and food allergy. Treatment approaches for atopic dermatitis and asthma include intermittent anti-inflammatory therapy with...

Comparative transcriptomic and metabolomic analysis of fenofibrate and fish oil treatments in mice

Comparative transcriptomic and metabolomic analysis of fenofibrate and fish oil treatments in mice. Physiol Genomics 43: 1307-1318, 2011. First published September 27, 2011; doi:10.1152/physiolgenomics.00100.2011. Elevated circulating triglycerides, which are considered a risk factor for cardiovascular disease, can be targeted by treatment with...

A dietary mixture containing fish oil, resveratrol, lycopene, catechins, and vitamins E and C reduces atherosclerosis in transgenic mice

Chronic inflammation and proatherogenic lipids are important risk factors of cardiovascular disease (CVD). Specific dietary constituents such as polyphenols and fish oils may improve cardiovascular risk factors and may have a beneficial effect on disease outcomes. We hypothesized that the intake of an antiinflammatory dietary mixture (AIDM)...

Butyrate enemas do not affect human colonic MUC2 and TFF3 expression

INTRODUCTION: The colonic mucus layer plays an important role in the protection of the intestinal epithelium and mainly consists of mucin glycoproteins (primarily MUC2 in the colon) trefoil factor 3 (TFF3) and secretory IgA. Butyrate is a major end product of fermentation of dietary fibres and is associated with beneficial effects on colonic...

Fenofibrate increases very low density lipoprotein triglyceride production despite reducing plasma triglyceride levels in APOE*3-Leiden.CETP mice

The peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha (PPARalpha) activator fenofibrate efficiently decreases plasma triglycerides (TG), which is generally attributed to enhanced very low density lipoprotein (VLDL)-TG clearance and decreased VLDL-TG production. However, because data on the effect of fenofibrate on VLDL production are...

IPP-rich milk protein hydrolysate lowers blood pressure in subjects with stage 1 hypertension a randomized controlled trial

Background. Milk derived peptides have been identified as potential antihypertensive agents. The primary objective was to investigate the effectiveness of IPP-rich milk protein hydrolysates (MPH) on reducing blood pressure (BP) as well as to investigate safety parameters and tolerability. The secondary objective was to confirm or falsify ACE...

ACE inhibition with perindopril and biomarkers of atherosclerosis and thrombosis: Results from the PERTINENT study

The PERTINENT study measured biomarkers of atherosclerosis and thrombosis in a stable coronary artery disease population from EUROPA receiving ACE inhibition with perindopril 8 mg/day or placebo. Biomarkers of inflammation, C-reactive protein (CRP), fibrinogen, and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), and a biomarker of thrombosis, d-dimer, were...

Doxycycline therapy for abdominal aneurysm: Improved proteolytic balance through reduced neutrophil content

Background: Matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) is thought to play a central role in abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) initiation. Doxycycline, a tetracycline analogue, has direct MMP-9-inhibiting properties in vitro, and it effectively suppresses AAA development in rodents. Observed inhibition of AAA progression, and contradictory findings in...

Lactotripeptides and antihypertensive effects: A critical review

Hypertension or high blood pressure is a significant health problem worldwide. Typically, lifestyle changes, including adopting a healthy diet, are recommended for people with an elevated blood pressure. Lactotripeptides are bioactive milk peptides with potential antihypertensive properties in man. These peptides, as part of a food product or as...

Short-chain fructo-oligosaccharides improve magnesium absorption in adolescent girls with a low calcium intake

Consumption of fructo-oligosaccharides (FOS) has been shown to improve mineral absorption in the short term, but no long-term effects were studied in girls with a low calcium intake. Therefore, we hypothesized that short- and long-term consumption of short-chain FOS (sc-FOS) improves calcium and magnesium absorption in girls with a low habitual...

Ervaringen met ontwikkelingsgerichte zorg voor te vroeg geboren kinderen in een Nederlandse setting [Experience with developmental care for children born preterm in a Dutch setting]

Objective and design. The Leiden Developmental Care Project explored the effects of the basic elements of developmental care (DC: the use of incubator covers and nests) and the Newborn Individualized Developmental Care and Assessment Program (NIDCAP) with individual behavior observations for very premature infants less than 32 weeks of gestation...