Impact of Olive Oil Supplement Intake on Dendritic Cell Maturation after Strenuous Physical Exercise: A Preliminary Study

Physical exercise is known to have a dose-dependent effect on the immune system and can result in an inflammatory process in athletes that is proportional to the intensity and duration of exertion. This inflammatory process can be measured by cell markers such as dendritic cells (DCs), which, in humans, consist of the myeloid DC (mDCs) and plasmacytoid DC (pDCs) subpopulations. The aim of this study was to measure DC differentiation to determine the possible anti-inflammatory effects, after intense aerobic effort, of the intake of a 25 mL extra-virgin olive oil supplement. Three healthy sports-trained subjects went through resistance exercise loads on two days separated by a week: on one day after active supplement intake and on the other day after placebo supplement intake. The results show that the highest increase (77%) in the percentage of mDCs as a proportion of pDCs was immediately after testing. Independently of the supplement taken, mature mDCs showed a decreasing trend between the test one hour after and 24 h after testing ended. Nevertheless, measured in terms of the coefficient of variation, only the decrease (46%) for extra-virgin olive oil supplementation was statistically significant (95% CI: 30-62%; p = 0.05). In conclusion, an extra-virgin olive oil supplement could reduce the inflammatory impact of intense aerobic effort and improve recovery at 24 h

Una oportunitat per intercanviar bones pràctiques en l’atenció a la cronicitat a nivell europeu: el projecte JA-CHRODIS

Good practices; Chronic patient; JA-CHRODISBuenas prácticas; Paciente crónico; JA-CHRODISBones pràctiques; Pacient crònic; JA-CHRODISEl nombre de persones que pateixen malalties cròniques ha augmentat considerablement durant les últimes dècades. Aquesta situación ha provocat que el sistema sanitari hagi hagut de reorientar-se i desenvolupar diverses pràctiques que pretenen optimitzar l’atenció als pacients crònics. La Comissió Europea va posar en marxa el 2014 una acció conjunta en la qual han participat 60 institucions que pertanyen a 26 països de la Unió Europea; el projecte JA-CHRODIS. L’objectiu de l’acció ha consistit en identificar les millors experiències que s’estan duent a terme actualment a Europa en atenció a la cronicitat, a partir d’uns criteris d’avaluació unificats i consensuats, per tal de posar-les a disposició tant dels professionals com dels gestors i responsables polítics de serveis d’atenció a la salut a través d’un repositori; es permet així l’intercanvi d’informació sobre aquelles experiències més exitoses i es promou la transferència i la implementació de les millors pràctiques.El número de personas que sufren enfermedades crónicas ha aumentado considerablemente durante las últimas décadas. Esta situación ha provocado que el sistema sanitario haya tenido que reorientarse y desarrollar varias prácticas que pretenden optimizar la atención a los pacientes crónicos. La Comisión Europea puso en marcha el 2014 una acción conjunta en la cual han participado 60 instituciones que pertenecen en 26 países de la Unión Europea; el proyecto JA-CHRODIS. El objetivo de la acción ha consistido en identificar las mejores experiencias que se están llevando a cabo actualmente en Europa en atención a la cronicidad, a partir de unos criterios de evaluación unificados y consensuados, para ponerlas a disposición tanto de los profesionales cómo de los gestores y responsables políticos de servicios de atención a la salud a través de un repositorio; se permite así el intercambio de información sobre aquellas experiencias más exitosas y se promueve la transferencia y la implementación de las mejores prácticas.The number of people are living with a chronic disease has increased considerably during the last decades. This situation has caused a change in the health system. It has to reorient itself and develop several practices that aim to optimize the care of chronic patients. The European Commission launched in 2014 a joint action in which 60 institutions that belong in 26 countries of the European Union have participated; the JA-CHRODIS project. The objective of the action has been to identify the best experiences that is being currently carried out in Europe about attention to chronicity, based on unified and agreed evaluation criteria, to make them available to both professionals and managers and policy makers of health care services through a repository; In this way allows the exchange of information on those most successful experiences and promotes the transfer and implementation of best practices

Retinol binding protein 4 and retinol in steatotic and nonsteatotic rat livers in the setting of partial hepatectomy under ischemia/reperfusion

Steatotic livers show increased hepatic damage and impaired regeneration after partial hepatectomy (PH) under ischemia/reperfusion (I/R), which is commonly applied in clinical practice to reduce bleeding. The known function of retinol-binding protein 4 (RBP4) is to transport retinol in the circulation. We examined whether modulating RBP4 and/or retinol could protect steatotic and nonsteatotic livers in the setting of PH under I/R. Steatotic and nonsteatotic livers from Zucker rats were subjected to PH (70%) with 60 minutes of ischemia. RBP4 and retinol levels were measured and altered pharmacologically, and their effects on hepatic damage and regeneration were studied after reperfusion. Decreased RBP4 levels were observed in both liver types, whereas retinol levels were reduced only in steatotic livers. RBP4 administration exacerbated the negative consequences of liver surgery with respect to damage and liver regeneration in both liver types. RBP4 affected the mobilization of retinol from steatotic livers, and this revealed actions of RBP4 independent of simple retinol transport. The injurious effects of RBP4 were not due to changes in retinol levels. Treatment with retinol was effective only for steatotic livers. Indeed, retinol increased hepatic injury and impaired liver regeneration in nonsteatotic livers. In steatotic livers, retinol reduced damage and improved regeneration after surgery. These benefits of retinol were associated with a reduced accumulation of hepatocellular fat. Thus, strategies based on modulating RBP4 could be ineffective and possibly even harmful in both liver types in the setting of PH under I/R. In terms of clinical applications, a retinol pretreatment might open new avenues for liver surgery that specifically benefit the steatotic liver. Liver Transpl 18:1198-1208, 2012. (c) 2012 AASLD.Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation [BFU2009-07410]Agency for the Innovation and Internationalization of Catalan Enterprise [VALTEC08-2-0033]Agency for the Support and Evaluation of Graduate Education (Brazilian Ministry of Education)Spanish Society for Liver Transplantation Foundatio

The response of the hepatocyte to ischemia

[Background]: Ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury associated with hepatic resections and liver transplantation remains a serious complication in clinical practice, in spite of several attempts to solve the problem. [Aims]: To evaluate the response of the hepatocyte to ischemia: Methods: Published data are thus revised. [Results]: The response of the hepatocyte to ischemia is based on the sensitivity of hepatocytes to different types of ischemia, the kind of cell death of the hepatocyte when it is subjected to ischemia, and on the response of the hepatocyte to the different times and extents of ischemia. Clinical factors including starvation, graft, age, and hepatic steatosis, all of which contribute to enhancing liver susceptibility to ischemia/reperfusion injury. [Conclusion]: Ischemic preconditioning, based on the induction of a brief ischemia to the liver prior to a prolonged ischemia, has been applied in tumor hepatic resections for reducing hepatic I/R injury and recent clinical studies suggest that this surgical strategy could be appropriate for liver transplantation. © 2007 Blackwell Munksgaard.Supported by the Ministerio de Educacióon y Ciencia (project grants SAF 2005-00385, and Ramón y Cajal research contract for Carmen Peralta) Ministerio de Sanidad y Consumo (project grant P1060021) (Madrid, Spain), Generalitat de Catalunya (2005 SGR/00781 project) (Barcelona, Spain) and Ministerio de Asuntos Exteriores (hp2003-0051) (Madrid, Spain).Peer Reviewe

Effect of Almond Supplementation on Non-Esterified Fatty Acid Values and Exercise Performance

Several studies have investigated the effects of fat intake before exercise on subsequent substrate oxidation and exercise performance. While some studies have reported that unsaturated fatty acid supplementation slightly increases fat oxidation, the changes have not been reflected in the maximum oxygen uptake or in other performance and physiological parameters. We selected almonds as a fatty acid (FA) source for acute supplementation and investigated their effect on non-esterified fatty acid (NEFA) values and exercise performance. Five physically active male subjects (age 32.9 ± 12.7 years, height 178.5 ± 3.3 cm, and weight 81.3 ± 9.7 kg) were randomly assigned to take an almond or placebo supplement 2 h before participating in two cycling resistance training sessions separated by an interval of 7-10 days. Their performance was evaluated with a maximal incremental test until exhaustion. Blood samples collected before, during, and after testing were biochemically analysed. The results indicated a NEFA value average increase of 0.09 mg·dL−1 (95% CI: 0.05-0.14; p < 0.001) after active supplement intake and enhanced performance (5389 ± 1795 W vs. placebo 4470 ± 2053 W, p = 0.043) after almond supplementation compared to the placebo. The almond supplementation did not cause gastrointestinal disturbances. Our study suggests that acute almond supplementation 2 h before exercise can improve performance in endurance exercise in trained subjects

Evaluation of Gluten Exclusion for the Improvement of Rheumatoid Arthritis in Adults

There is currently a growing anti-gluten trend which, except for individuals with coeliac disease and non-coeliac gluten sensitivity (NCGS) for whom its intake is contraindicated, results in gluten (the main protein in wheat and other cereals) being considered harmful to health and excluded from diets, largely due to information distributed through social networks. However, in many cases the recommendation to exclude gluten from the diet goes beyond personal choice and is promoted by health professionals. This choice and/or recommendation is especially important to individuals with chronic inflammatory diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis (RA), for which this exclusion is justified to reduce the symptoms of the disease. The aim of this literature review is to assess whether there is scientific evidence to justify the elimination of gluten in patients with RA, neither coeliac nor with NCGS, to improve their symptoms and quality of life. The results of the search on gluten and RA carried out in the Embase database and the extraction of data from 16 articles included in the review are presented. No scientific evidence was found to recommend the exclusion of gluten in patients with RA

Effect of Almond Supplementation on Non-Esterified Fatty Acid Values and Exercise Performance

Several studies have investigated the effects of fat intake before exercise on subsequent substrate oxidation and exercise performance. While some studies have reported that unsaturated fatty acid supplementation slightly increases fat oxidation, the changes have not been reflected in the maximum oxygen uptake or in other performance and physiological parameters. We selected almonds as a fatty acid (FA) source for acute supplementation and investigated their effect on non-esterified fatty acid (NEFA) values and exercise performance. Five physically active male subjects (age 32.9 &plusmn; 12.7 years, height 178.5 &plusmn; 3.3 cm, and weight 81.3 &plusmn; 9.7 kg) were randomly assigned to take an almond or placebo supplement 2 h before participating in two cycling resistance training sessions separated by an interval of 7&ndash;10 days. Their performance was evaluated with a maximal incremental test until exhaustion. Blood samples collected before, during, and after testing were biochemically analysed. The results indicated a NEFA value average increase of 0.09 mg&middot;dL&minus;1 (95% CI: 0.05&ndash;0.14; p &lt; 0.001) after active supplement intake and enhanced performance (5389 &plusmn; 1795 W vs. placebo 4470 &plusmn; 2053 W, p = 0.043) after almond supplementation compared to the placebo. The almond supplementation did not cause gastrointestinal disturbances. Our study suggests that acute almond supplementation 2 h before exercise can improve performance in endurance exercise in trained subjects

Effect of Almond Supplementation on Non-Esterified Fatty Acid Values and Exercise Performance

Several studies have investigated the effects of fat intake before exercise on subsequent substrate oxidation and exercise performance. While some studies have reported that unsaturated fatty acid supplementation slightly increases fat oxidation, the changes have not been reflected in the maximum oxygen uptake or in other performance and physiological parameters. We selected almonds as a fatty acid (FA) source for acute supplementation and investigated their effect on non-esterified fatty acid (NEFA) values and exercise performance. Five physically active male subjects (age 32.9 ± 12.7 years, height 178.5 ± 3.3 cm, and weight 81.3 ± 9.7 kg) were randomly assigned to take an almond or placebo supplement 2 h before participating in two cycling resistance training sessions separated by an interval of 7–10 days. Their performance was evaluated with a maximal incremental test until exhaustion. Blood samples collected before, during, and after testing were biochemically analysed. The results indicated a NEFA value average increase of 0.09 mg·dL−1 (95% CI: 0.05–0.14; p < 0.001) after active supplement intake and enhanced performance (5389 ± 1795 W vs. placebo 4470 ± 2053 W, p = 0.043) after almond supplementation compared to the placebo. The almond supplementation did not cause gastrointestinal disturbances. Our study suggests that acute almond supplementation 2 h before exercise can improve performance in endurance exercise in trained subject

Up regulation of IL-6 by ischemic preconditioning in normal and fatty rat livers: Association with reduction of oxidative stress

We analyzed the role of IL-6 in the protection that ischemic preconditioning (IP) exerts against hepatic ischemia reperfusion-mediated (I/R) oxidative damage, particularly in fatty livers. IP-related IL-6 up-regulation during reperfusion in steatotic and non-steatotic livers was correlated with reduced indices of liver damage, as also demonstrated by pharmacological modulation of IL-6. IP activated NF-κB and HSF during ischemia (Isc), whereas AP-1 activity was unaffected. IP blunted the activation of STAT3 and stress-responsive genes, such as NF-κB, AP-1 and heme oxygenase (HO-1) during reperfusion. The role of reduced oxidative stress in hepatoprotection of fatty livers was further demonstrated by the fact that: (i) IP prevented the decrease of glutathione levels and the increase of lipid peroxidation; (ii) the anti-oxidant GSH-ester prevented lipid peroxidation and necrosis. In conclusion, IP modulates the activity of transcription factors and triggers IL-6 production; this may prevent hepatic I/R damage in a oxidative stress-dependent way, particularly in fatty livers.Peer Reviewe

Addition of adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase activators to University of Wisconsin solution: A way of protecting rat steatotic livers

This study investigates how the addition of trimetazidine (TMZ) and aminoimidazole-4-carboxamide ribonucleoside (AICAR) to University of Wisconsin (UW) solution protects steatotic livers. Steatolic and nonsteatotic livers were preserved for 24 hours at 4°C in UW and UW with TMZ and AICAR (separately or in combination) and then perfused ex vivo for 2 hours at 37°C. Adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK) or nitric oxide (NO) synthesis inhibition in livers preserved in UW with TMZ was also investigated. Hepatic injury and function (transaminases, bile production, and sulfobromophthalein clearance) and factors potentially involved in the susceptibility of steatotic livers to ischemia-reperfusion (I/R), including vascular resistance, mitochondrial damage, adenosine triphosphate depletion, and oxidative stress were evaluated. AMPK, NO synthase (NOS), nitrate, and nitrite levels were also determined. The addition of TMZ and AICAR (separately or in combination) to UW reduced hepatic injury, improved functionality, and protected against the mechanisms responsible for the vulnerability of steatotic livers to I/R. Like AICAR, TMZ increased AMPK, constitutive NOS, and nitrates and nitrites, and conversely, AMPK or NO synthesis inhibition abolished the benefits of TMZ. In conclusion, TMZ, by means of AMPK, increased NO, thus protecting steatotic livers against their vulnerability to I/R injury. TMZ and AICAR may constitute new additives to UW solution in steatotic liver preservation, whereas a combination of both seems unnecessary. © 2007 AASLD.Funded by: Ministerio de Ciencia y Tecnologia. Grant Number: SAF 2005-00385; Ramón y Cajal research contract; Ministerio de Sanidad y Consumo. Grant Number: PI060021; Generalitat de Catalunya. Grant Number: 2005SGR/00781; Ministerio de Ciencia y Tecnologia. Grant Number: hp2003-0051 and Agencia Española de Cooperación Internacional. Grant Numbers: 251031, AA251.Peer Reviewe