Arthritis in a patient with homozygous familial hypercholesterolemia

Familial hypercholesterolemia is a disorder of lipoprotein metabolism characterized by elevated cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, xanthomas and early onset atherosclerosis. Tendinitis and arthritis have been reported in patients with familial hypercholesterolemia. A report is presented of a 9-year-old girl with an acute arthritic attack who was diagnosed as homozygote familial hypercholesterolemia with hypercholesterolemic arthritis.     

高脂饲料加重大鼠阿霉素肾病的实验病理学研究

探讨高脂饲料加剧阿霉素肾病大鼠高脂血症及肾组织形态学改变的作用。用ＡＤＲ静脉注射建立大鼠肾病模型，饲喂含１．５％胆固醇、５％猪油的高脂饲料，观察大鼠尿蛋白排泄量，测定血肖中脂质有关指标以及检查肾组织形态学改变。饲喂高脂饲料的ＡＤＲ肾病大鼠，血清脂质水平在整个试验过程中均明显高于饲喂基础饲料的ＡＤＲ肾病大鼠，肾小球病变也显著加重，饲喂高脂饲料所致高脂血症是导致大鼠ＡＤＲ肾病进行性进展的重要因素之一。     

Relationship between expression of CD40-CD40 ligand system and serum cholesterol levels in patients with hypercholesterolemia

Hypercholesterolemia is associated with the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis. Enhanced levels of thrombin, fibrinogen and factor Ⅶc directly correlate with cholesterol levels.1 Activated platelets adhere to the intact endothelium and induce inflammatory responses in the endothelium, which substantially contribute to the early phase of atherosclerosis. Emerging lines of evidence support the role of CD40-CD40L interactions in atherosclerosis, thrombosis and inflammation.2 In atherosclerosis, inhibition of the CD40-CD40L interaction in LDL receptors or ApoE-deficient mice prevents the initiation of atherosclerosis and the evolvement of established atherosclerotic lesions to more advanced lesions.     

Arterial endothelial function in a porcine model of early stage atherosclerotic vascular disease

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in the United States and is projected to become the leading cause of mortality in the world. Atherosclerosis is the most important single factor contributing to this disease burden. In this study, we characterize relationships between endothelial dysfunction and vascular disease in an animal model of diet-induced, early-stage atherosclerotic vascular disease. We tested the hypothesis that hypercholesterolaemia induces vascular disease and impairs endothelium-dependent relaxation (EDR) in conduit arteries of adult male Yucatan pigs. Pigs were fed a normal fat (NF) or high fat cholesterol (HFC) diet for 20-24 weeks. Results indicate that, while the HFC diet did not alter EDR in femoral or brachial arteries, EDR was significantly decreased in both carotid and coronary arteries. Sudanophilic fatty streaks were significantly present in the abdominal aorta and common carotid artery. Histopathology revealed increased intima-media thickness (IMT) and foam cell accumulation in Stary Stage I-III lesions in the abdominal aorta, common carotid artery and femoral arteries. In the coronary arteries, the accumulation of foam cells in Stary Stage I and II lesions resulted in a trend for increased IMT. There was no evidence of vascular disease in the brachial arteries. These results indicate that early stages of CVD (Stary Stage I-III) precede decreases in EDR induced by HFC diet, because femoral arteries exhibited foam cell accumulation and an increased IMT but no change in endothelial function.     

Abnormal low density lipoproteins in children with familial hypercholesterolemia — Effet of polyanion exchange resins

Summary In 20 children and adolescents with familial Type IIa hyperlipoproteinemia, serum lipids and lipoproteins were examined before and during treatment with polyanion exchange resins. The composition of LDL was compared to that of healthy siblings. The patients were given Colestyramine (0.6 g/kg body weight) and Colestipol (0.5 g/kg body weight) in a cross-over study for 8 weeks each, after they had been under dietary treatment for at least 12 months. In 6 children, drug treatment had to be stopped due to side-effects. The most common complaints were gastrointestinal discomfort and constipation.Cholesterol, triglycerides and phopholipids were measured in whole serum and cholesterol, triglycerides and Apolipoprotein-B in isolated lipoprotein fractions after ultracentrifugation. Apo-B was determined by radial immunodiffusion.The Apo-B: cholesterol ratio in whole serum and in the LDL fraction was identical in the patients and in the controls. The LDL triglyceride: Apo-B ratio, however, was about 50% lower in the patients. This abnormal LDL composition was not altered by therapy with polyanion exchange resins. HDL cholesterol levels were significantly lower in the patients than in healthy children, and remained low during therapy.The decrease of total and LDL cholesterol (25%) and Apo-B (20%) was similar under both Colestipol and Colestyramine. Triglycerides and phospholipids showed no significant changes in therapy.These studies were supported by grants of the Schweizerische Nationalfonds and the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (Sonderforschungsbereich 90, Cardiovasculäres System)     

PCSK9 inhibition with alirocumab in pediatric patients with heterozygous familial hypercholesterolemia: The ODYSSEY KIDS study

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The role of central parts of the brain in the control of sound production during courtship in Drosophila melanogaster

The question of the roles of the two main parts of the insect brain, the mushroom bodies and the central complex, in controlling motor coordination and triggering a variety of behavioral programs, including sound production, remains controversial. With the aim of improving our understanding of this question, we studied the parameters of songs used by five-day-old males during courtship for fertilized wild-type females (Canton-S, C-S) over 5-min periods at 25°C; males were of two wild-type Drosophila Melanogaster lines (Berlin and C-S). Berlin males lacking mushroom bodies because of treatment with hydroxyurea during development (chemical removal of the mushroom bodies) were used, along with two mutants with defects in the mushroom bodies (mbm ¹ and mud ¹), two mutants with defects in the central complex (ccb ^KS127 and cex ^KS181), and mutant cxb ^N71 with defects in both the mushroom bodies and the central complex. The experiments reported here showed that courtship songs in males lacking mushroom bodies were virtually identical to those of wild-type males. The main parameters of pulsatile song in mutants mbm ¹ and mud ¹ (interpulse interval and train duration) were insignificantly different from those of the songs of wild-type flies, though the stability of the pulse oscillator was the same. Flies of these lines were no different from wild-type flies in terms of courtship success (percentage of copulating pairs in 10-min tests). Conversely, the songs of mutants with defects in the central complex differed from those of wild-type males. Firstly, there was degradation of the stability of the pulse oscillator and interpulse intervals were very variable. In addition, pulses were often significantly longer and appeared multicyclic, as in the well-known cacophony mutant, while the mean train duration was significantly shorter. Males of the line cex ^KS181 usually courted very intensely, though abnormal sounds were generally emitted. Mutants cex ^KS181 and ccb ^KS127 were significantly less successful in courtship than wild-type flies. These data show that the central complex appears to play a very important role in controlling song, while the mushroom bodies are not related to this function.     

The apolipoprotein C-II variant apoC-IILys19→Thr is not associated with dyslipidemia in an affected kindred

The rare apolipoprotein C-II (apoC-II) mutation, apoC-II_Lys19→Thr, also known as apoC-II-v, has been found previously in association with hyperlipoproteinemia. From a lipid clinic screening we identified three unrelated individuals who had the apoC-II_Lys19→Thr mutation. Among eight family members of one proband, we have found another four who were affected. None of the inviduals in this kindred is dyslipidemic and there is no difference in lipid levels between affected and unaffected family members. Therefore, we conclude that the presence of this apolipoprotein variant by itself has no effect on lipoprotein levels. In addition, the apolipoprotein E (apoE) isoform, apoE4 does not have a synergistic effect on lipoprotein levels in this kindred, in contrast to observations on the interaction of apoE4 with another apoC-II mutant (apoC-II_Toronto). The single nucleotide substitution that causes the apoC-II_Lys19→Thr variant introduces a previously unrecognized restriction site (for Mae III), that provides for easy screening.     

大豆低聚糖和低聚肽对高脂血症大鼠血管活性物质和血液流变学的影响

目的探讨大豆低聚糖(SOS)和大豆低聚肽(SOP)对高脂血症大鼠血管活性物质和血液流变学的影响。方法60只健康成年SD大鼠随机分为5组:分别饲喂正常饲料(正常对照组,NCG),高脂饲料(高血脂模型组,HCG),高脂饲料 2%SOS(SOS组)、高脂饲料 3%SOP(SOP组)、高脂饲料 2%SOS 3%SOP(SOSP组)8周,测定大鼠血脂、血管活性物质PG I2、TXA2、NO和血液流变学指标。结果各实验组均能显著降低高脂血症大鼠血清TC、TG、LDL-C,升高HDL-C,改善血脂水平。同时升高PG I2、NO,降低TXA2和TXA2/PG I2比值,还能降低血黏度和红细胞压积,并以复合干预组效果最佳。结论SOS和SOP具有良好的调节血脂、影响血管活性物质生成和改善血液流变学的作用,以联合使用效果最为显著。