Extra Virgin Olive Oil Prevents the Age-Related Shifts of the Distribution of HDL Subclasses and Improves Their Functionality

High-density lipoproteins (HDL) maintain cholesterol homeostasis through the role they play in regulating reverse cholesterol transport (RCT), a process by which excess cholesterol is transported back to the liver for elimination. However, RCT can be altered in the presence of cardiovascular risk factors, such as aging, which contributes to the increase in the incidence of cardiovascular diseases (CVD). The present study was aimed at investigating the effect of extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) intake on the cholesterol efflux capacity (CEC) of HDL, and to elucidate on the mechanisms by which EVOO intake improves the anti-atherogenic activity of HDL. A total of 84 healthy women and men were enrolled and were distributed, according to age, into two groups: 27 young (31.81 ± 6.79 years) and 57 elderly (70.72 ± 5.6 years) subjects. The subjects in both groups were given 25 mL/d of extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) for 12 weeks. CEC was measured using J774 macrophages radiolabeled with tritiated cholesterol ((³H) cholesterol). HDL subclass distributions were analyzed using the Quantimetrix Lipoprint® system. The HDL from the elderly subjects exhibited a lower level of CEC, at 11.12% (p < 0.0001), than the HDL from the young subjects. The CEC of the elderly subjects returned to normal levels following 12 weeks of EVOO intake. An analysis of the distribution of HDL subclasses showed that HDL from the elderly subjects were composed of lower levels of large HDL (L-HDL) (p < 0.03) and higher levels of small HDL (S-HDL) (p < 0.002) compared to HDL from the young subjects. A multiple linear regression analysis revealed a positive correlation between CEC and L-HDL levels (r = 0.35 and p < 0.001) as well as an inverse correlation between CEC and S-HDL levels (r = −0.27 and p < 0.01). This correlation remained significant even when several variables, including age, sex, and BMI as well as low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), and glucose levels (β = 0.28, p < 0.002, and β = 0.24, p = 0.01) were accounted for. Consuming EVOO for 12 weeks modulated the age-related difference in the distribution of HDL subclasses by reducing the level of S-HDL and increasing the level of intermediate-HDL/large-HDL (I-HDL/L-HDL) in the elderly subjects. The age-related alteration of the CEC of HDL was due, in part, to an alteration in the distribution of HDL subclasses. A diet enriched in EVOO improved the functionality of HDL through an increase in I-HDL/L-HDL and a decrease in S-HDL.     

Bilateral congenital aniridia: 5 case reports

INTRODUCTION: Aniridia is a rare familial or sporadic disorder affecting not only the iris but also the cornea, angle structures, lens, optic nerve, and fovea. This disorder may be associated with many other systemic abnormalities such as urogenital malignancies. CASE REPORTS: A 44-Year-old man who complained of visual loss presented bilateral congenital aniridia with corneal dystrophy and dense cataract. His 12-Year-old daughter also presented visual loss with severe bilateral corneal dystrophy and total congenital cataract associated with aniridia. Two other daughters, 18 and 23 Years of age, and an 11-Year-old son had nystagmus with bilateral congenital cataract and ectopia lentis. Clinical and radiological investigations did not disclose evidence of extraocular abnormalities in this family. Three patients underwent cataract extraction without intraocular implantation and the aphakia was corrected with glasses. All three patients progressed well. DISCUSSION: This family provided a good illustration of the different clinical spectra of ocular involvement in congenital aniridia and its management difficulties, above all those of cataract surgery and correction of aphakia. CONCLUSION: Aniridia is a genetic disease with possible association with other ocular and systemic disorders, which may compromise visual and vital prognosis. Genetic advice is very important in such families.     

Protective effects of Peganum harmala L. extract, harmine and harmaline against human low-density lipoprotein oxidation

Oxidative modification of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) particles has been implicated in the process of atherogenesis. Antioxidants that prevent LDL from oxidation may reduce atherosclerosis. We have investigated the protective effect of Peganum harmala-extract (P-extract) and the two major alkaloids (harmine and harmaline) from the seeds of P. harmala against CuSO4-induced LDL oxidation. Through determination of the formation of malondialdehyde (MDA) and conjugated diene as well as the lag phase, the extract (P-extract) and compounds were found to possess an inhibitory effect. Moreover, harmaline and harmine reduced the rate of vitamin E disappearance and exhibited a significant free radical scavenging capacity (DPPH*). However, harmaline had a markedly higher antioxidant capacity than harmine in scavenging or preventive capacity against free radicals as well as inhibiting the aggregation of the LDL protein moiety (apolipoprotein B) induced by oxidation. The results suggested that P. harmala compounds could be a major source of compounds that inhibit LDL oxidative modification induced by copper.     

Age-associated alterations in the recruitment of signal-transduction proteins to lipid rafts in human T lymphocytes

Aging is associated with a decline in T cell activation and proliferation, but the underlying mechanisms are not fully understood. Recent findings suggest that lipid rafts act as a platform in the initiation of T cell activation by selectively recruiting signaling proteins associated with formation of the initial complex of signal transduction. We tested the hypothesis that lipid raft properties are altered in T lymphocytes from elderly, healthy individuals in comparison with young subjects. Results showed that the cholesterol content of lipid rafts derived from these cells was consistently higher in the case of elderly donors and that membrane fluidity was decreased. In addition, lipid rafts coalescence to the site of T cell receptor engagement was impaired in T cells from elderly donors. The recruitment of p56(lck), linker of activated T cells, and their tyrosine-phosphorylated forms to lipid rafts was decreased in activated T cells from aged individuals. CD45 was not recruited to the lipid raft fractions in either group of subjects. Our data suggest that some properties of lipid rafts are altered in aging, and this finding may be part of the causes for the decline in T cell functions that are observed in elderly individuals.     

Congenital elevation of the scapula

21 cases of Sprengel deformity in 19 patients were treated in Paediatric orthopaedic unit of Children's hospital of Rabat in 20 years. Only 6 patients (4 girls, 2 boys) were operated on. The ages of the patients at operation ranged from four to fifteen years (mean age: 10 years). The duration of follow-up ranged from 8 months to 10 years (average: 4 years and 2 months) The Woodward procedure was constantly used. Post operatively, the average increase in total abduction was 40 degrees (range 30 to 75 degrees) Functional and cosmetic results were judged good in 3 patients, moderate in 2 and fair in one case. We emphasize that patients who are less than 4 years old are the ideal candidates for scapular displacement procedure.     

Is overweight/obesity associated with short sleep duration in older women?

BACKGROUND AND AIM: No study to date has documented the association between short sleep duration and the risk for obesity in older people. Therefore, the aim of this study was to examine cross-sectional associations between short sleep duration and variations in body fat indices in older women. METHODS: Anthropometric and body composition measurements, resting energy expenditure, daily energy expenditure, daily energy intake, plasma lipid-lipoprotein profile, and self-reported sleep duration were determined in a sample of 90 women of 50 years and above. RESULTS: The odds ratios for overweight/obesity were comparable in subjects reporting <7 hours and >or=7 hours of sleep per day, with or without adjustment for age, daily energy expenditure and daily energy intake. The results did not permit to observe any significant difference between the two sleeper groups for all the variables investigated. The correlations between sleep duration and adiposity indices were also non significant. CONCLUSIONS: Short sleep duration does not predict an increased risk of being overweight/obese in older women. This observation, together with our previously reported results in younger subjects, suggests that the sleep-body fat relationship progressively becomes less detectable with increasing in age.     

Cortical connections of the macaque anterior intraparietal (AIP) area

We traced the cortical connections of the anterior intraparietal (AIP) area, which is known to play a crucial role in visuomotor transformations for grasping. AIP displayed major connections with 1) areas of the inferior parietal lobule convexity, the rostral part of the lateral intraparietal area and the SII region; 2) ventral visual stream areas of the lower bank of the superior temporal sulcus and the middle temporal gyrus; and 3) the premotor area F5 and prefrontal areas 46 and 12. Additional connections were observed with the caudal intraparietal area and the ventral part of the frontal eye field. This study suggests that visuomotor transformations for object-oriented actions, processed in AIP, rely not only on dorsal visual stream information related to the object's physical properties but also on ventral visual stream information related to object identity. The identification of direct anatomical connections with the inferotemporal cortex suggests that AIP also has a unique role in linking the parietofrontal network of areas involved in sensorimotor transformations for grasping with areas involved in object recognition. Thus, AIP could represent a crucial node in a cortical circuit in which hand-related sensory and motor signals gain access to representations of object identity for tactile object recognition.     

Severe ischemic retinopathy in a patient with systemic lupus erythematosus without antiphospholipid syndrome: A case report

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a chronic, autoimmune, multisystem disease which may affect the eyes and/or visual system in up to a third of patients. Severe retinal vaso-occlusive diseases have been rarely reported as manifestation in patients with SLE. We report the case of a 35-year-old female treated for systemic lupus erythematosus for 6 months, presented a sudden loss of vision. Fundus examination and fluorescein angiography revealed severe retinal vascular occlusion. This has motivated the search for antiphospholipid antibody syndrome and this was confirmed without the presence of anticardiolipin antibodies. And the treatment consisted in a laser therapy. The purpose of this case report is to demonstrate that an ocular vascular event can reveal the disease and that its diagnosis is important because this disease generally affects young people and may endanger ocular and vital prognosis.