Determinants of HDL Cholesterol Efflux Capacity after Virgin Olive Oil Ingestion: Interrelationships with Fluidity of HDL Monolayer

Scope: Cholesterol efflux capacity of HDL (CEC) is inversely associated with cardiovascular risk. HDL composition, fluidity, oxidation, and size are related with CEC. We aimed to assess which HDL parameters were CEC determinants after virgin olive oil (VOO) ingestion. Methods and results: Post‐hoc analyses from the VOHF study, a crossover intervention with three types of VOO. We assessed the relationship of 3‐week changes in HDL‐related variables after intervention periods with independence of the type of VOO. After univariate analyses, mixed linear models were fitted with variables related with CEC and fluidity. Fluidity and Apolipoprotein (Apo)A‐I content in HDL was directly associated, and HDL oxidative status inversely, with CEC. A reduction in free cholesterol, an increase in triglycerides in HDL, and a decrease in small HDL particle number or an increase in HDL mean size, were associated to HDL fluidity. Conclusions: HDL fluidity, ApoA‐I concentration, and oxidative status are major determinants for CEC after VOO. The impact on CEC of changes in free cholesterol and triglycerides in HDL, and those of small HDL or HDL mean size, could be mechanistically linked through HDL fluidity. Our work points out novel therapeutic targets to improve HDL functionality in humans through nutritional or pharmacological interventions.Fil: Fernández Castillejo, Sara. Universitat Rovira I Virgili; EspañaFil: Rubió, Laura. Universitat Rovira I Virgili; España. Universidad de Lleida; EspañaFil: Hernáez, Álvaro. Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red Fisiopatología de la Obesidad y Nutrición; EspañaFil: Catalán, Úrsula. Universitat Rovira I Virgili; EspañaFil: Pedret, Anna. Universitat Rovira I Virgili; EspañaFil: Valls, Rosa M.. Universitat Rovira I Virgili; EspañaFil: Mosse, Juana Inés. Universidad de Lleida; España. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Covas, Maria Isabel. Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red Fisiopatología de la Obesidad y Nutrición; EspañaFil: Remaley, Alan T.. National Institutes of Health; Estados UnidosFil: Castañer, Olga. Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red Fisiopatología de la Obesidad y Nutrición; EspañaFil: Motilva, Maria José. Universidad de Lleida; EspañaFil: Solá, Rosa. Universitat Rovira I Virgili; Españ

Poly(lactic acid)/graphite nanoplatelet nanocomposite filaments for ligament scaffolds

The anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) is one of the most prone to injury in the human body. Due to its insufficient vascularization and low regenerative capacity, surgery is often required when it is ruptured. Most of the current tissue engineering (TE) strategies are based on scaffolds produced with fibers due to the natural ligamentâ s fibrous structure. In the present work, composite filaments based on poly(L-lactic acid) (PLA) reinforced with graphite nanoplatelets (PLA+EG) as received, chemically functionalized (PLA+f-EG), or functionalized and decorated with silver nanoparticles [PLA+((f-EG)+Ag)] were produced by melt mixing, ensuring good filler dispersion. These filaments were produced with diameters of 0.25 mm and 1.75 mm for textile-engineered and 3D-printed ligament scaffolds, respectively. The resulting composite filaments are thermally stable, and the incorporation of graphite increases the stiffness of the composites and decreases the electrical resistivity, as compared to PLA. None of the filaments suffered significant degradation after 27 days. The composite filaments were processed into 3D scaffolds with finely controlled dimensions and porosity by textile-engineered and additive fabrication techniques, demonstrating their potential for ligament TE applications.This research was funded by FCT through the National Funds Reference UIDB/05256/2020 and UIDP/05256/2020, the FCT and European Program FEDER/COMPETE through the project PTDC/BTM-MAT/28123/2017, and the FCT, European Union and European Social Fund (FSE) through the PhD Grant Reference SFRH/BD/138244/2018

Engineering ligament scaffolds based on PLA/graphite nanoplatelet composites by 3D printing or braiding

The development of scaffolds for tissue-engineered growth of the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) is a promising approach to overcome the limitations of current solutions. This work proposes novel biodegradable and biocompatible scaffolds matching the mechanical characteristics of the native human ligament. Poly(L-lactic acid) (PLA) scaffolds reinforced with graphite nano-platelets (PLA+EG) as received, chemically functionalized (PLA+f-EG), or functionalized and decorated with silver nanoparticles [PLA+((f-EG)+Ag)], were fabricated by conventional braiding and using 3D-printing technology. The dimensions of both braided and 3D-printed scaffolds were finely controlled. The results showed that the scaffolds exhibited high porosity (>60%), pore interconnectivity, and pore size suitable for ligament tissue ingrowth, with no relevant differences between PLA and composite scaffolds. The wet state dynamic mechanical analysis at 37 °C revealed an increase in the storage modulus of the composite constructs, compared to neat PLA scaffolds. Either braided or 3D-printed scaffolds presented storage modulus values similar to those found in soft tissues. The tailorable design of the braided structures, as well as the reproducibility, the high speed, and the simplicity of 3D-printing allowed to obtain two different scaffolds suitable for ligament tissue engineering.This research was funded by FCT through the National Funds Reference UIDB/05256/2020 and UIDP/05256/2020, the FCT and European Program FEDER/COMPETE through the project PTDC/BTM-MAT/28123/2017, and the FCT, European Union and European Social Fund (FSE) through the PhD Grant Reference SFRH/BD/138244/2018

Do students with immigrant and native parents perceive themselves as equally engaged in school during adolescence?

Student engagement in school needs to be considered when comparing immigrant and native students, particularly at a time of increasing migratory movements throughout the world. Differences in cognitive, affective, behavioral, and agentic student engagement dimensions were examined for students with immigrant and native parents, and for early and middle adolescence. A four-dimensional measure of student engagement was completed by 643 students (52.7% women). Results indicated that: students with native parents present higher cognitive and agentic engagement than students with immigrant parents; early adolescents are more cognitively engaged than middle adolescents; early adolescents with native parents present higher cognitive engagement than early adolescents with immigrant parents and middle adolescents. These results contribute to knowledge advancement, enhancing the understanding of student engagement with immigrant and native parents during early and middle adolescence, which might stimulate additional research moving towards a more inclusive school. Based on the findings and conclusions from this study, possibilities for future research and political-educational recommendations are presented.This study received national funding from the FCT - Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia, IP, within the scope of the UIDEF - Unidade de Investigação e Desenvolvimento em Educação e Formação, Reference UIDB/04107/2020.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Prevalence of Symptomatic and Asymptomatic Peripheral Arterial Disease and the Value of the Ankle-brachial Index to Stratify Cardiovascular Risk

AbstractObjectivesTo determine the prevalence of ankle-brachial index (ABI)<0.9 and symptomatic peripheral arterial disease (PAD), association with cardiovascular risk factors (CVRF), and impact of adding ABI measurement to coronary heart disease (CHD) risk screening.DesignPopulation-based cross-sectional survey of 6262 participants aged 35–79 in Girona, Spain.MethodsStandardized measurements (CVRF, ABI, 10-year CHD risk) and history of intermittent claudication (IC), CHD, and stroke were recorded. ABI<0.9 was considered equivalent to moderate-to-high CHD risk (≥10%).ResultsABI<0.9 prevalence was 4.5%. Only 0.62% presented low ABI and IC. Age, current smoker, cardiovascular disease, and uncontrolled hypertension independently associated with ABI<0.9 in both sexes; IC was also associated in men and diabetes in women. Among participants 35–74 free of cardiovascular disease, 6.1% showed moderate-to-high 10-year CHD risk; adding ABI measurement yielded 8.7%. Conversely, the risk function identified 16.8% of these participants as having 10-year CHD risk>10%. In participants 75–79 free of cardiovascular disease, the prevalence of ABI<0.9 (i.e., CHD risk≥10%) was 11.9%.ConclusionsABI<0.9 is relatively frequent in those 35–79, particularly over 74. However, IC and CHD risk≥10% indicators are often missing. Adding ABI measurement to CHD-risk screening better identifies moderate-to-high cardiovascular risk patients

Human transcriptome response after Mediterranean diet consumption

Trabajo presentado en el IV Congress of International Society of Nutrigenetics/Nutrigenomics ISNN, celebrado en Pamplona (España) del 18 al 20 de noviembre de 2010.[Introduction]: Despite the benefits associated with healthy diets, data on the mechanisms by which these benefits are promoted are scarce. Our aim was to explore the global transcriptomic response of biological pathways related to cardiovascular disease associated with traditional Mediterranean diet (TMD) intervention.[Methods]: The PREDIMED study is a large on-going, parallel, multicentre, randomized, controlled trial aimed at assessing the TMD effect on primary cardiovascular prevention. High cardiovascular risk participants were recruited and assigned to one of the following interventions: 1) TMD plus virgin olive oil (VOO); 2) TMD plus mixed nuts; or 3) low-fat diet (control group). In a sub sample of 30 volunteers of the PREDIMED-Barcelona Sur Centre, gene expression changes in peripheral mononuclear cells, after 3 months of intervention, were assessed by microarray analysis (Affymetrix) in which about 30,000 individual human genes were included. Crude and adjusted models for data analyses were performed separately in two different centres. Pearson´s correlation coefficients for log2ratio (post-intervention/pre-intervention value) and T-statistics were greater than 0.97. Gene ontology analyses were performed by Bioingenuity Software on genes with T-statistics ≥1.5 or ≥-1.5 after interventions.[Results]: Analyses of canonical pathways related with cardiovascular risk highlighted that: 1) MUFA versus PUFA rich diets (MUFA/PUFA ratio >3.5; TMD plus VOO and Low-fat) promoted changes in clusters of genes associated with cytokine and nuclear receptor signaling; and 2) TMD plus VOO promoted changes in blood pressure related pathways. In agreement with this, the greatest decrease in systolic and diastolic blood pressure levels were observed after TMD plus VOO diet.[Conclusions]: One of the mechanisms by which MUFA rich diets, and particularly a TMD rich in virgin olive oil, can exert their health benefits is through an enhancement of the global transcriptomic response in pathways related with cardiovascular risk

Primary prevention of cardiovascular disease with a Mediterranean diet

© 2013 Massachusetts Medical Society[Background]: Observational cohort studies and a secondary prevention trial have shown an inverse association between adherence to the Mediterranean diet and cardiovascular risk. We conducted a randomized trial of this diet pattern for the primary prevention of cardiovascular events.[Methods]: In a multicenter trial in Spain, we randomly assigned participants who were at high cardiovascular risk, but with no cardiovascular disease at enrollment, to one of three diets: a Mediterranean diet supplemented with extra-virgin olive oil, a Mediterranean diet supplemented with mixed nuts, or a control diet (advice to reduce dietary fat). Participants received quarterly individual and group educational sessions and, depending on group assignment, free provision of extra-virgin olive oil, mixed nuts, or small nonfood gifts. The primary end point was the rate of major cardiovascular events (myocardial infarction, stroke, or death from cardiovascular causes). On the basis of the results of an interim analysis, the trial was stopped after a median follow-up of 4.8 years.[Results]: A total of 7447 persons were enrolled (age range, 55 to 80 years); 57% were women. The two Mediterranean-diet groups had good adherence to the intervention, according to self-reported intake and biomarker analyses. A primary end-point event occurred in 288 participants. The multivariable-adjusted hazard ratios were 0.70 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.54 to 0.92) and 0.72 (95% CI, 0.54 to 0.96) for the group assigned to a Mediterranean diet with extra-virgin olive oil (96 events) and the group assigned to a Mediterranean diet with nuts (83 events), respectively, versus the control group (109 events). No diet-related adverse effects were reported.[Conclusions]: Among persons at high cardiovascular risk, a Mediterranean diet supplemented with extra-virgin olive oil or nuts reduced the incidence of major cardiovascular events.Supported by the official funding agency for biomedical research of the Spanish government, Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII), through grants provided to research networks specifically developed for the trial (RTIC G03/140, to Dr. Estruch; RTIC RD 06/0045, to Dr. Martínez-González and through Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Fisiopatología de la Obesidad y Nutrición [CIBERobn]), and by grants from Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Cardiovasculares (CNIC 06/2007), Fondo de Investigación Sanitaria–Fondo Europeo de Desarrollo Regional (PI04-2239, PI 05/2584, CP06/00100, PI07/0240, PI07/1138, PI07/0954, PI 07/0473, PI10/01407, PI10/02658, PI11/01647, and P11/02505), Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación (AGL-2009-13906-C02 and AGL2010-22319-C03), Fundación Mapfre 2010, Consejería de Salud de la Junta de Andalucía (PI0105/2007), Public Health Division of the Department of Health of the Autonomous Government of Catalonia, Generalitat Valenciana (ACOMP06109, GVACOMP2010-181, GVACOMP2011-151, CS2010-AP-111, and CS2011-AP-042), and Regional Government of Navarra (P27/2011)