ANKLE-BRACHIAL INDEX AND LDL-RECEPTOR GENE IN ASYMPTOMATIC SEVERE HYPERCHOLESTEROLEMIA

The issue with the different levels of ankle-brachial index, as screening for LDL-receptor defective gene in newly detected asymptomatic severe hypercholesterolemia is less studied, but quite interesting. There have not been any studies on ankle-brachial index in patients with severe hypercholesterolemia in Bulgaria. Aim: To examine the difference between patients with severe hypercholesterolemia, who are carriers and non-carriers of LDL-R defective gene, with respect to their structural (ankle-brachial index) characteristics of arterial wall. Methods and materials: 60 patients with documented severe hypercholesterolemia >7.5 mmol/l satisfying the Simon-Broom criteria for clinically established and probable Familial Hypercholesterolemia were studied. All of the patients had a negative stress echocardiography and not known coronary artery disease. The laboratory used was the Clinical Laboratory at the Medical University Plovdiv. The total cholesterol and triglycerides were measured with enzyme-colorimetry and cholesterol in high density lipoprotein and cholesterol in low density lipoprotein with direct automatic analyses. Apolipoproteins were calculated by immunoturbodimetric method. The biochemical analyzer Konelab 60i was used in all the measurements. Results: According to whether there were or were not molecular defects, patients were assigned to two groups: carriers (11 patients, 18 %) and non-carriers (49 patients, 82 %).There was a statistically significant difference (p 0.05). We found no statistically significant difference between non-carriers and carriers with respect to body mass index (25.30 ± 0.40 vs 24.63 ± 0.45, respectively, t = 0.50; p > 0.05). There was not a statistically significant difference in levels of total cholesterol, triglycerides, HDL-cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol between carries (p>0.05). The cholesterol x years. score was significantly higher in the carries (440.36 ± 0.25 mmol-y/L), than in the non-carries (390.30 ± 0.07 mmol-y/L). We found a significantly lower ABI in the carriers vs. non-carriers (p<0.001) (Table 2). This significant difference was confirmed after adjustment for age and gender (p<0.05) Conclusion: The major findings of the present study are that ABI is significantly lower in carriers of the LDL-R defective gene vs. non-carriers

Functional beverages based on Aronia melanocarpa affect age-related aortic wall restructuring in rats

The morphological alterations of the wall of the large arteries of elastic type, which also include the aorta, are a result of age-related restructuring and create pathophysiological prerequisites for worsening of their function and the occurrence of pathological changes. They lay at the core of many diseases, such as hypertension, dissection, aortic aneurysm and rupture of the aorta, etc. The application of natural antioxidants is one of the strategies for slowing down the vascular aging process. Aronia melanocarpa juice is a rich source of polyphenols and exhibits extremely high antioxidant activity. Enriching it with pectin and herbal extracts potentiates its effects.The aim of this experimental study was to determine the impact of various functional beverages based on Aronia melanocarpa on the age-related structural alterations in the aortic wall in rats.Methods: A model of aging male rats was used (12 months old). It was supplemented for 3 months with 100% Aronia melanocarpa juice (А), Aronia melanocarpa juice enriched with 1% pectin (А+Р) and Aronia melanocarpa juice enriched with herbal extracts (А+I). At the end of the experiment a histochemical and morphometric examination of the wall of the thoracic aorta was performed. The following parameters were measured and processed statistically: thickness of tunica media, number and thickness of the elastic membranes, and width of intermembrane spaces.Results: The comparative analysis between the groups established that in the animals supplemented with 100% Aronia juice the elastic membranes of the aortic tunica media were the thickest and the intermembrane space of the group А+I was the narrowest. The collected data suggests that Aronia melanocarpa-based functional beverages affect some of the age-related alterations in the vascular wall and may be recommended as a prophylactic means to healthy aging