Effects of Lycium barbarum L. Polysaccharides on Inflammation and Oxidative Stress Markers in a Pressure Overload-Induced Heart Failure Rat Model.

Despite recent advances in disease management and prevention, heart failure (HF) prevalence is still high. Hypertension, inflammation and oxidative stress are being investigated as important causative processes in HF. L. barbarum L. polysaccharides (LBPs) are widely used for their anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. Thus, the aim of the present study was to evaluate the effects of LBPs on inflammation and oxidative stress markers in a pressure overload-induced HF rat model, surgically induced by abdominal aorta banding in Wistar rats (AAB) (n = 28). Also, control rats (n = 10) were subjected to a sham operation. After echocardiographic confirmation of HF (week 24), AAB rats were divided into three groups: rats treated with LBPs for 12 weeks: 100 mg/kg body weight /day (AAB_100, n = 9), 200 mg/kg body weight /day (AAB_200, n = 7) and no-treatment group (control AAB, n = 12). After 12 weeks of treatment with LBPs, the decline of cardiac function was prevented compared to the control AAB rats. Treatment with 200 mg/kg body weight /day LBPs significantly reduced the inflammation as seen by cytokine levels (IL-6 and TNF-α) and the plasma lipid peroxidation, as seen by malondialdehyde levels. These results suggest that LBPs present anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects with utility in a HF animal model and encourage further investigation of the cardioprotective effects of these polysaccharides.

Ultra-Early and Early Changes in Bile Acids and Insulin After Sleeve Gastrectomy Among Obese Patients.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: In obese patients, sleeve gastrectomy (SG) has shown mixed results on bile acid (BA) values. The aim of our study was to examine the potential ultra-early and early changes of the circulating total BA in relation with the changes of insulin resistance (IR) in obese patients submitted to laparoscopic SG. Materials and Methods: Twenty-four obese subjects were investigated for body mass index (BMI), total fasting BA, insulin, homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), and leptin before and at 7 and 30 d after SG. Results: After surgery, mean BMI decreased at the first (p < 0.001) and at the second time point (p < 0.001) relative to baseline. Total fasting BA values did not change significantly at 7 d (p = 0.938) and at 30 d (p = 0.289) after SG. No significant changes were found at 7 d (p = 0.194, p = 0.34) and 30 d (p = 0.329, p = 0.151) after surgery regarding fasting insulin and HOMA-IR, respectively. However, a trend of increased total fasting BA and decreased fasting insulin and HOMA- after laparoscopic SG has been found. Negative correlations between total fasting BA and insulin (r = -0.807, p = 0.009), HOMA-IR (r = -0.855, p = 0.014), and blood glucose (r = -0.761, p = 0.047), respectively, were observed at one month after SG. Conclusion: In conclusion, here, we found a lack of significant changes in total fasting BA, insulin, and HOMA-IR ultra-early and early after SG, which precluded us to consider a possible relation between the variations of BA and IR. However, the presence of the tendency for total fasting BA to increase and for insulin and HOMA-IR to decrease, as well as of the negative correlations one month after laparoscopic SG, suggest that this surgery brings about some changes that point towards the existence, and possibly towards the restoration, at least to some extent, of the link between BA and glucose metabolism.

Age, abdominal obesity, and glycated hemoglobin are associated with carotid atherosclerosis in type 2 diabetes patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease.

AIM: The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of clinical parameters and indices of body composition on the relation between non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and carotid intima-media thickness (cIMT), in a type 2 diabetes mellitus population (T2DM). MATERIAL AND METHODS: We retrospectively enrolled 336 T2DM outpatients who regularly attended Regina Maria Clinic in Cluj. Clinical, anthropometric and biochemical parameters were measured. Ultrasonography (US) was used to assess hepatic steatosis (HS) in all patients and cIMT in 146 subjects. Body composition was assessed by bioelectric impedance (BIA, InBody 720) in all patients. RESULTS: cIMT was correlated with age (r=0.25; p=0.004), systolic blood pressure (r=0.18; p=0.041), glycated haemoglobin A1C (HbA1C, r=0.20; p=0.04), and with coronary artery disease (r=0.20; p=0.007). HS did not correlate with cIMT (r=0.04; p=0.64). cIMT was correlated with visceral fatty area (VFA, r=0.18; p=0.014) but not with other indices of body composition. Homeostasis model assessment for insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) was not correlated with cIMT (r=0.17; p=0.086). After multivariate analysis, age, HbA1c, and VFA were good independent predictors of cIMT (r=0.45; p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: These results are suggestive that in T2DM patients, fatty liver is not a direct mediator of early carotid atherosclerosis. Our data indicate that visceral fat accumulation and HbA1C are determinant factors of cIMT sugesting that controlling abdominal obesity and hyperglicemia might reduce atherosclerotic disease risk in NAFLD-T2DM subjects.