Association between the severity of angiographic coronary artery disease and paraoxonase-1 promoter gene polymorphism T[-107] C in Iranian population

The oxidation of low-density lipoproteins and cell membrane lipids is believed to play an integral role in the development of fatty streak lesions, an initial step in coronary artery disease [CAD]. Paraoxonase-1 [PON1] is an enzyme associated with the high-density lipoprotein [HDL] particle. PON1 protects LDL from oxidative modification by hydrolyzing lipid peroxides, suggestive of a role for PON1 in the development of CAD. The present study tested the hypothesis that Paraoxonase-1 promoter polymorphism T[-107]C could be a risk factor for severity of CAD in Iranian population. Paraoxonase-1 promoter genotypes were determined in 300 consecutive subjects [> 40 years old] who underwent coronary angiography [150 subjects with >50% stenosis served as cases [CAD+] and 150 subjects with < 20% stenosis served as controls [CAD-]]. PON1 promoter genotypes were determined by PCR and BSTU1 restriction enzyme digestion. CAD+ Subjects did not show any significant differences in the distribution of PON1 promoter genotypes as compared to CAD- Subjects [P = 0.075]. However the analysis of PON1 promoter genotypes distribution showed a higher percentage of [-107] TT among CAD+ compared with CAD- [P = 0.027]. After controlling for other risk factors, the T[- 107]C polymorphism had interaction with age [P = 0.012], but did not show any interaction with other risk factors such as BMI, gender, smoking, diabetes, level of HDL-C, LDL-C, triglyceride and Total cholesterol. These data suggest that the TT genotype may represent a genetic risk factor for Coronary artery disease in Iranian population

Taurine as anticataractogenic agent in galactose - feeding rats

The present study was designed to investigate the effect of taurine on the onset and maturation of galactose induced cataract. Fort y Male Sprague - Dawley rats [21 days old] were divided into 4 groups containing ten rats each. Group 1 received control diet, group 2 received 30% galactose in the diet, group 3 received the group 2 diet plus 2% taurine solution and group 4 received control diet plus 2% taurine solution. After the period of 28 days, biochemical parameters such as lipid peroxidation products, aldose reductase, superoxide dismutase, catalase, protein thiol and reduced glutathione were estimated in the lens. Crystallin profile was analyzed by column chromatography. Galactose-fed rats showed increased lipid peroxidation and impaired antioxidant status of the lens with an increase in maturation of cataract. Taurine administration to galactose- fed rats attenuated the increased lipid peroxidation, enhanced the levels of antioxidant, inhibited the activity of aldose reductase enzyme and improved the crystallin profile. Inhibitions of peroxidation markers and up regulation of antioxidant activity of rat lens by taurine signify the potential utility of taurine as anticataractogenic agent in diabetic rats