Differential regulation of ABCA1 and macrophage cholesterol efflux by elaidic and oleic acids

Exploring the Cardiovascular Benefits of Extra Virgin Olive Oil: Insights into Mechanisms and Therapeutic Potential

Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are the leading cause of mortality worldwide, driven by complex interactions among genetic, environmental, and lifestyle factors, with diet playing a pivotal role. Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO), a cornerstone of the Mediterranean diet (MedDiet), is a plant-based fat that has garnered attention for its robust cardiovascular benefits, which are attributed to its unique composition of monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs), particularly oleic acid (OA); and bioactive polyphenols, such as Hydroxytyrosol (HT) and oleocanthal. These compounds collectively exert antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, vasodilatory, and lipid-modulating effects. Numerous clinical and preclinical studies have demonstrated that EVOO's properties reduce major modifiable cardiovascular risk factors, including hypertension, dyslipidemia, obesity, and type 2 diabetes. EVOO also promotes endothelial function by increasing nitric oxide (NO) bioavailability, thus favoring vasodilation, lowering blood pressure (BP), and supporting vascular integrity. Furthermore, it modulates biomarkers of cardiovascular health, such as C-reactive protein, low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, and NT-proBNP, aligning with improved hemostatic balance and reduced arterial vulnerability. Emerging evidence highlights its interaction with gut microbiota, further augmenting its cardioprotective effects. This review synthesizes current evidence, elucidating EVOO's multifaceted mechanisms of action and therapeutic potential. Future directions emphasize the need for advanced extraction techniques, nutraceutical formulations, and personalized dietary recommendations to maximize its health benefits. EVOO represents a valuable addition to dietary strategies aimed at reducing the global burden of cardiovascular diseases.

Solanum aethiopicum L. from the Basilicata Region Prevents Lipid Absorption, Fat Accumulation, Oxidative Stress, and Inflammation in OA-Treated HepG2 and Caco-2 Cell Lines

Obesity is widely associated with intestine barrier impairment, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) outbreaks, oxidative stress, and inflammation. In a previous investigation, the Solanum aethiopicum L. growing in Basilicata Region has demonstrated to have antioxidant activity; hence this investigation was aimed to evaluate for the first time the antilipidemic and anti-inflammatory activity of the Lucanian S. aethiopicum L. peel extract in vitro on OA-treated HepG2 and Caco-2 cell lines. It was shown that the extract could reduce lipogenesis by down-regulating SREBP-1c and HMGCR expression and fatty acid β-oxidation by up-regulating PPARα, CPT1A, and UCP2 expression. In addition, the S. aethiopicum L. peel extract might also improve oxidative stress by reducing endoplasmic reticulum stress and regulating the Nrf2 and Nf-κB molecular pathways. Altogether, these results demonstrated for the first time the possible application of the Lucanian S. aethiopicum peel extract for preventing obesity and managing NAFLD.

A new method for measuring cholesterol efflux capacity uses stable isotope-labeled, not radioactive-labeled, cholesterol

The incidence of cardiovascular events correlates inversely with cholesterol efflux capacity (CEC) more than with HDL-cholesterol level. The measurement of CEC is used to qualify cardiovascular disease risk and is conventionally performed with radioisotope (RI)-labeled cholesterol. Here, we established a CEC measurement technique using stable isotope-labeled cholesterol as an alternative, and we compared the new method with RI and fluorescence (boron dipyrromethene difluoride-cholesterol) methods in cells and in patient serum. We incubated J774 cells labeled with [d ₇]cholesterol ([d ₇]C) with patient serum depleted of apoB, and [d ₇]C extracted from the culture medium was quantified by liquid chromatography/quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry. [d ₇]C efflux increased with greater apoB-depleted serum concentration and longer incubation time. The assay coefficient of variation (CV) of five consecutive measurements of three sets of samples ranged from 7.3% to 9.5%, and the interassay CV determined by measuring three samples four times ranged from 4.1% to 8.5%, both indicating good precision. We then measured CEC levels of 41 outpatients with serum HDL-cholesterol levels between 36 and 94 mg/dl (mean: 61.7 ± 18.0 mg/dl); in the presence of cAMP, we observed a significant, positive correlation between CEC levels determined with the stable isotope and RI methods that was stronger than the correlation between measurements obtained by the fluorescence and RI methods (r = 0.73, P < 0.0001 vs. r = 0.55, P < 0.001). Therefore, our stable isotope method can be considered useful as a non-RI method and thus deserves evaluation in future clinical studies.

Silver nanoparticles-coated monolithic column for in-tube solid-phase microextraction of monounsaturated fatty acid methyl esters

Based on our developed sodium hyaluronate-functionalized urea-formaldehyde (HA-UF) monolith, a silver nanoparticles-coated monolithic column has been fabricated via the interaction between silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) and HA. The successful coating of Ag NPs on the parent monolith was proven by SEM, EDAX, UV-vis spectrum and XPS. Nitrogen adsorption desorption isotherms and Barret-Joyner-Halenda (BJH) pore size distributions of the parent and resultant monolith were also performed. Due to the Ag⁺-like affinity interaction caused by the contact of unsaturated compounds and Ag NPs, the Ag NPs-coated monolith showed satisfactory extraction efficiency towards these compounds, and was applied for in-tube solid-phase microextraction (SPME) of monounsaturated fatty acid methyl esters (MUFAMEs). Several factors for in-tube SPME, such as ACN percentage in the sampling solution, elution volume, sampling and elution flow rate, were investigated with respect to the extraction efficiency of model MUFAMEs. Under the optimized SPME conditions, a simple in tube SPME-Ag⁺-HPLC method for detection of model MUFAMEs has been proposed, the limits of detection (LODs) were less than 5.2 μg/kg, and the recoveries of spiked French fry samples were ranged from 86.6% to 96.1% with relative standard deviations (RSDs) less than 5.2%. This study provided an Ag NPs-coated monolith with good reproducibility and repeatable extraction performance, and developed an efficient method for in-tube SPME of MUFAMEs in practical food samples.

The Forty-Sixth Euro Congress on Drug Synthesis and Analysis: Snapshot †

The 46th EuroCongress on Drug Synthesis and Analysis (ECDSA-2017) was arranged within the celebration of the 65th Anniversary of the Faculty of Pharmacy at Comenius University in Bratislava, Slovakia from 5-8 September 2017 to get together specialists in medicinal chemistry, organic synthesis, pharmaceutical analysis, screening of bioactive compounds, pharmacology and drug formulations; promote the exchange of scientific results, methods and ideas; and encourage cooperation between researchers from all over the world. The topic of the conference, "Drug Synthesis and Analysis," meant that the symposium welcomed all pharmacists and/or researchers (chemists, analysts, biologists) and students interested in scientific work dealing with investigations of biologically active compounds as potential drugs. The authors of this manuscript were plenary speakers and other participants of the symposium and members of their research teams. The following summary highlights the major points/topics of the meeting.

Long-chain monounsaturated fatty acid-rich fish oil attenuates the development of atherosclerosis in mouse models

SCOPE

Fish oil-derived long-chain monounsaturated fatty acids (LCMUFA) containing chain lengths longer than 18 were previously shown to improve cardiovascular disease risk factors in mice. However, it is not known if LCMUFA also exerts anti-atherogenic effects. The main objective of the present study was to investigate the effect of LCMUFA on the development of atherosclerosis in mouse models.

METHODS AND RESULTS

LDLR-KO mice were fed Western diet supplemented with 2% (w/w) of either LCMUFA concentrate, olive oil, or not (control) for 12 wk. LCMUFA, but not olive oil, significantly suppressed the development of atherosclerotic lesions and several plasma inflammatory cytokine levels, although there were no major differences in plasma lipids between the three groups. At higher doses 5% (w/w) LCMUFA supplementation was observed to reduce pro-atherogenic plasma lipoproteins and to also reduce atherosclerosis in ApoE-KO mice fed a Western diet. RNA sequencing and subsequent qPCR analyses revealed that LCMUFA upregulated PPAR signaling pathways in liver. In cell culture studies, apoB-depleted plasma from LDLR-K mice fed LCMUFA showed greater cholesterol efflux from macrophage-like THP-1 cells and ABCA1-overexpressing BHK cells.

CONCLUSION

Our research showed for the first time that LCMUFA consumption protects against diet-induced atherosclerosis, possibly by upregulating the PPAR signaling pathway.