Impact of proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 inhibition with evolocumab on the postprandial responses of triglyceride-rich lipoproteins in type II diabetic subjects

BACKGROUND: Monoclonal antibodies to proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9) significantly lower the levels of low-density lipoprotein and very-low-density lipoproteins (VLDL), but their effect on postprandial lipoprotein metabolism in dyslipidemic subjects is unclear. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to investigate the effects of evolocumab on postprandial lipid responses, ectopic fat depots, whole-body cholesterol synthesis, hepatic lipogenesis, and fat oxidation in patients with type II diabetes. METHODS: The trial was a single-phase, nonrandomized study of 12-week treatment with evolocumab 140 mg subcutaneously every 2 weeks in 15 patients with type II diabetes on background statin therapy. Cardiometabolic responses to a high-fat mixed meal were assessed before and at the end of the intervention period. RESULTS: Evolocumab treatment reduced significantly postprandial rises in plasma total triglyceride (by 21%; P <.0001) and VLDL i triglyceride (by 15%; P = .018), but the increase in chylomicron triglyceride after the meal was not significantly perturbed (P = .053). There were reduced postprandial responses in plasma total apolipoprotein C-III (by 14%; P <.0001) and apolipoprotein B-48 concentration (by 17%; P = .0046) and in "remnant-like particles" cholesterol (by 29%; P <.0001) on the PCSK9 inhibitor. Treatment reduced the steady-state (ie, fasting and postprandial) concentrations of VLDL2 cholesterol by 50% (P <.0001) and VLDL2 triglyceride by 29% (P <.0001), in addition to the 78% reduction of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (P <.001). The changes in apolipoprotein C-III associated significantly with reduction in postprandial responses of remnant-like particles cholesterol and triglyceride-rich lipoprotein cholesterol. Evolocumab therapy did not influence liver fat accumulation, hepatic de novo lipogenesis, or fasting beta-hydroxybutyrate but did increase total body cholesterol synthesis (P <.01). CONCLUSION: Evolocumab treatment improved postprandial responses of triglyceride-rich lipo-proteins and measures of cholesterol-enriched remnant particles in type II diabetic subjects. These results indicate that postprandial phenomena need to be taken into account in assessing the full range of actions of PCSK9 inhibitors in dyslipidemic individuals. (C) 2020 Published by Elsevier Inc. on behalf of National Lipid Association.Peer reviewe

Niacin Cures Systemic NAD(+) Deficiency and Improves Muscle Performance in Adult-Onset Mitochondrial Myopathy

NAD(+) is a redox-active metabolite, the depletion of which has been proposed to promote aging and degenerative diseases in rodents. However, whether NAD(+) depletion occurs in patients with degenerative disorders and whether NAD(+) repletion improves their symptoms has remained open. Here, we report systemic NAD(+) deficiency in adult-onset mitochondrial myopathy patients. We administered an increasing dose of NAD(+) booster niacin, a vitamin B3 form (to 750-1,000 mg/day; clinicaltrials.gov NCT03973203) for patients and their matched controls for 10 or 4 months, respectively. Blood NAD(+) increased in all subjects, up to 8-fold, and muscle-NAD(+) of patients reached the level of their controls. Some patients showed anemia tendency, while muscle strength and mitochondrial biogenesis increased in all subjects. In patients, muscle metabolome shifted toward controls and liver fat decreased even 50%. Our evidence indicates that blood analysis is useful in identifying NAD(+) deficiency and points niacin to be an efficient NAD(+) booster for treating mitochondrial myopathy.Peer reviewe

OSBPL10, a novel candidate gene for high triglyceride trait in dyslipidemic Finnish subjects, regulates cellular lipid metabolism

Analysis of variants in three genes encoding oxysterol-binding protein (OSBP) homologues (OSBPL2, OSBPL9, OSBPL10) in Finnish families with familial low high-density lipoprotein (HDL) levels (N = 426) or familial combined hyperlipidemia (N = 684) revealed suggestive linkage of OSBPL10 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) with extreme end high triglyceride (TG; >90th percentile) trait. Prompted by this initial finding, we carried out association analysis in a metabolic syndrome subcohort (Genmets) of Health2000 examination survey (N = 2,138), revealing association of multiple OSBPL10 SNPs with high serum TG levels (>95th percentile). To investigate whether OSBPL10 could be the gene underlying the observed linkage and association, we carried out functional experiments in the human hepatoma cell line Huh7. Silencing of OSBPL10 increased the incorporation of [3H]acetate into cholesterol and both [3H]acetate and [3H]oleate into triglycerides and enhanced the accumulation of secreted apolipoprotein B100 in growth medium, suggesting that the encoded protein ORP10 suppresses hepatic lipogenesis and very-low-density lipoprotein production. ORP10 was shown to associate dynamically with microtubules, consistent with its involvement in intracellular transport or organelle positioning. The data introduces OSBPL10 as a gene whose variation may contribute to high triglyceride levels in dyslipidemic Finnish subjects and provides evidence for ORP10 as a regulator of cellular lipid metabolism

Kriisitilanteita koskevan kansalaisviestinnän kehittäminen : Työryhmän loppuraportti

Valtioneuvoston kanslia asetti syksyllä 2021 kriisiviestinnän kehittämishankkeen, jonka tehtävänä on ollut kehittää viranomaisten kriisiviestintää erityisesti kansalaisten näkökulmasta. Työryhmän asettamisen taustalla olivat Onnettomuustutkintakeskus OTKES:n tutkintaselostus ja toimenpidesuositukset koronapandemian ensimmäisestä vaiheesta sekä viranomaisten havainnot ja kokemukset koronapandemiasta ja muista laajamittaisista häiriötilanteista. Työryhmä on toimikautensa aikana valmistellut toimenpide-ehdotukset viranomaisten kriisiviestinnän kehittämiselle. Koronapandemiasta saatujen havaintojen ohella työryhmä on huomioinut myös muuttuneen turvallisuustilanteen aiheuttamat uudenlaiset kriisit, joiden viestinnässä korostuu henkisen kriisinkestävyyden vahvistaminen ja informaatiovaikuttamiseen varautuminen ja siihen vastaaminen