Impact of different types of olive oil on cardiovascular risk factors: A systematic review and network meta-analysis

Background and aimThis network meta-analysis (NMA) compares the effects of different types of olive oil (OO) on cardiovascular risk factors.Methods and resultsLiterature search was conducted on three electronic databases (Medline, Web of Science, and Cochrane Central). Inclusion criteria: Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) (≥3 weeks duration of intervention) comparing at least two of the following types of OO: refined OO (ROO), mixed OO (MOO), low phenolic (extra) virgin OO (LP(E)VOO), and high phenolic (extra) virgin OO (HP(E)VOO). Random-effects NMA was performed for seven outcomes; and surface under the cumulative ranking curve (SUCRA) was estimated, using an analytical approach (P-score). Thirteen RCTs (16 reports) with 611 mainly healthy participants (mean age: 26–70 years) were identified. No differences for total cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol, triacylglycerols, and diastolic blood pressure were observed comparing ROO, MOO, LP(E)VOO and HP(E)VOO. HP(E)VOO slightly reduce LDL-cholesterol (LDL-C) compared to LP(E)VOO (mean difference [MD]: −0.14 mmol/L, 95%–CI: −0.28, −0.01). Both, HP(E)VOO and LP(E)VOO reduces SBP compared to ROO (range of MD: −2.99 to −2.87 mmHg), and HP(E)VOO may improve oxidized LDL-cholesterol (oxLDL-C) compared to ROO (standardized MD: −0.68, 95%–CI: −1.31, −0.04). In secondary analyses, EVOO may reduce oxLDL-C compared to ROO, and a dose-response relationship between higher intakes of phenolic compounds from OO and lower SBP and oxLDL-C values was detected. HP(E)VOO was ranked as best treatment for LDL-C (P-score: 0.83), oxLDL-C (0.88), and SBP (0.75).ConclusionsHP(E)VOO may improve some cardiovascular risk factors, however, public health implications are limited by overall low or moderate certainty of evidence.     

Some digenetic trematodes of the olive ridley sea turtle, Lepidochelys olivacea (Testudines, Cheloniidae) in Costa Rica

Summary Three species of digeneans including 1 Gorgoderidae (Plesiochorus cymbiformis) from the urinary bladder, 1 Plagiorchiidae (Enodiotrema megachondrus) from the duodenum, and 1 Pachypsolidae (Pachypsolus irroratus) from the stomach were recovered from 2 of 3 olive ridley turtles (Lepidochelys olivacea) found stranded along the Pacific coast of Costa Rica. All trematodes represent new locality records. Histopathological changes associated with eggs of cardiovascular flukes (Digenea, Spirorchiidae) were described from the lungs, spleen, and intestine of a single turtle.     

Effects of cimetropium bromide on gallbladder contraction in response to oral and intraduodenal olive oil

Summary To evaluate the influence of the stomach and the cholinergic system on gallbladder contraction induced by physiological stimuli, the reduction in gallbladder volume in 7 healthy volunteers has been studied by real-time ultrasonography after the oral and intraduodenal administration of olive oil, preceded by pretreatment with cimetropium bromide or placebo. After an overnight fast, each subject swallowed 50 ml olive oil or it was administered through a naso-duodenal tube in the proximal duodenum. Cimetropium bromide 5 mg or placebo was given intravenously under double-blind control.After the placebo pretreatment, gallbladder contraction was greater and faster after intraduodenal oil than after oral oil. Cimetropium bromide decreased the extent, velocity and duration of gallbladder contraction induced by intraduodenal olive oil but it only reduced the velocity of the contraction induced by oil given orally.It is concluded that in normal human subjects the stomach modulates the extent and velocity of postprandial gallbladder contraction and that anticholinergic agents antagonize the gastric and duodenal phases of the response of the gallbladder to a meal.     

碱性脂肪酶测定方法的探讨

对碱性脂肪酶酶活的测定方法进行了研究，对反应底物及其形态、反应的酸碱度、温度、稳定时间等条件进行了对比和选择。     

Abnormal spontaneous and harmaline-stimulated Purkinje cell activity in the awake genetically dystonic rat

The genetically dystonic rat is an autosomal recessive mutant with a movement disorder that closely resembles the generalized dystonias seen in humans. Abnormal activity of neurons within the cerebellar nuclei is critical to the dystonic rat motor syndrome. Increased glutamic acid decarboxylase activity, increased glucose utilization, and decreased muscimol binding within the cerebellar nuclei of the dystonic rat suggests that Purkinje cell firing rates are increased in these animals. However, under urethane anesthesia, Purkinje cell simple spike firing rates in dystonic rats were less than half the rates seen in normal littermates. In this study, both spontaneous and harmaline-stimulated single-unit Purkinje cell recordings were obtained from awake normal and dystonic rats. In striking contrast to previous results obtained under urethane anesthesia, there was no statistically significant difference in average Purkinje cell spontaneous simple spike frequency between dystonic and normal rats. Similar to previous studies obtained under urethane anesthesia, Purkinje cell spontaneous complex spike frequency was much lower in dystonic than in normal rats. Many Purkinje cells from dystonic rats, particularly those from the vermis or older animals, exhibited rhythmic bursting simple spike firing patterns. Cross-correlations showed that complex spikes produced less suppression of simple spikes in dystonic than in normal rats and harmaline-stimulated complex spike activity was, on average, faster and more rhythmic in normal than in dystonic rats. These findings indicate that olivocerebellar network abnormalities in the dystonic rat are not due to an inability of Purkinje cells to fire at normal rates and suggest that abnormal Purkinje cell bursting firing patterns in the dystonic rat are due to a defect in the pathway from the inferior olive to climbing fiber synapses on Purkinje cells.     

Olive pollen allergen Ole e 8: identification in mature pollen and presence of Ole e 8-like proteins in different pollens

In a first approach, Ole e 8, a novel Ca2+-binding protein from olive pollen, was cloned and produced in Escherichia coli. We have obtained the natural form of Ole e 8 (nOle e 8) from the pollen and examined its immunologic equivalence with its recombinant form (rOle e 8). Size exclusion chromatography and a phenyl-Sepharose CL-4B affinity column were used to obtain nOle e 8 from the olive pollen. Inhibition assays by immunoblotting, using rOle e 8-specific rabbit antiserum, were performed to analyze the immunologic equivalence between the natural and the recombinant allergen, as well as to detect its presence in other pollens. Recombinant and natural Ole e 8 resulted immunologically equivalents, since they completely inhibited the IgG binding of the polyclonal antiserum to each other. Ole e 8-like proteins were detected in Oleaceae and Juniperus communis pollen, and might contribute to cross-reactivity processes between taxonomically related pollens.     

Lateral and medial sub-divisions within the olivocerebellar zones of the paravermal cortex in lobule Vb/c of the cat anterior lobe

Summary The olivocerebellar projection to the c₁,c₂ and c₃ zones in the paravermal cortex of lobule Vb/c has been investigated in the cat using a combined electrophysiological/neuroanatomical tracing technique. The zonal boundaries in the paravermal cortex were located by recording, on the cerebellar surface, climbing fibre field potentials evoked in response to percutaneous stimulation of one or more paws. A small (10–30 nl) injection of WGA-HRP was then made either into the centre or into the medial or lateral geographical half of a chosen zone and the resultant distribution of retrogradely labelled cells within the contralateral inferior olive was plotted. The c₁ and c₃ zones were each found to consist of two mediolaterally oriented sub-zones which could be distinguished by their olivocerebellar input. The medial part of the c₁ zone received climbing fibre input from the rostromedial part of the dorsal accessory olive (DAO) while the lateral part of the c₁ zone received climbing fibre input from middle/rostral regions of the medial accessory olive (MAO). Both medial and lateral sub-zones within the c₃ zone were found to receive climbing fibre input from the rostral pole of DAO but, whereas there was heavy overlap between the olivary territories projecting to the medial c₁ and medial c₃ subzones, olivary cells projecting to the lateral part of c₃ were located more rostrally within DAO. The c₂ zone was found not to be divisible into mediolaterally oriented subzones and to receive climbing fibre input from a region of MAO located rostral and somewhat lateral to the region projecting to the lateral part of the c₁ zone. The sub-zonal organisation of the olivocerebellar projection to the c₁, c₂ and c₃ zones is discussed in relation to the functional properties of the different zones.     

The dorsal spino-olivocerebellar system in the cat

Summary The spino-olivocerebellar paths ascending through the dorsal funiculi (DF-SOCPs) were studied by recording climbing fiber field potentials in the cerebellar cortex. Several DF-SOCPs were identified on the basis of their response latencies, peripheral inputs, and projection areas. The projection areas consist of eight sagittal zones on each side of the anterior lobe denoted a, x, b, C₁, c₂, c₃, d₁, and d₂. The a and b zones, which are activated exclusively from hindlimb nerves (Oscarsson, 1969a) were not studied.The shortest response latencies in the x, c₁, c₃ and d₂ zones indicate that these zones are activated by direct paths between the dorsal funiculus nuclei and the inferior olive. These zones also have long latency responses evoked through indirect paths. The direct paths are activated from the flexor reflex afferents and the indirect paths from distal cutaneous afferents. The x zone is activated from forelimb nerves only. The c₁ and c₃ zones and presumably also the d₂ zone are activated from hindlimb and forelimb nerves and have a detailed somatotopical organization.The c₂ and d₁ zones have long latency responses evoked through indirect paths. Both zones are activated from distal cutaneous afferents. The c₂ zone has no distinct somatotopical organization, whereas the d₁ zone has largely separate forelimb and hindlimb areas. In contrast to all other zones, the c₂ zone is activated not only from ipsilateral but also from contralateral nerves.     

Sensitization to cross-reactive carbohydrate determinants in relation to alcohol consumption

Background Alcohol consumption is associated with increased serum IgE of unknown specificity. Objective To investigate the prevalence of specific IgE to cross‐reactive carbohydrate determinants (CCDs) in adults, and its relation to alcohol consumption. Methods Population‐based survey of 457 adults (218 abstainers, 195 light‐to‐moderate drinkers, 44 heavy drinkers). Specific IgE determinations included a CCD (MUXF³, the N‐glycan of bromelain), pollens (Lolium perenne and Olea europaea), Hymenoptera venoms (Apis mellifera and Vespula spp.), and a mite (Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus). We replicated these studies in an additional sample of alcoholics (n=138). Inhibition assays were performed in selected cases. Results In the general population, 5.6% of individuals (95% confidence interval 3.5–7.6%) showed positive (0.35 kU/L) CCD‐specific IgE. The levels of CCD‐specific IgE were particularly high in heavy drinkers, who also showed a high prevalence of positive IgE to pollens and Hymenoptera venoms, doubling (at least) the prevalence found in alcohol abstainers and light‐to‐moderate drinkers. The presence of IgE to pollens and Hymenoptera venoms was closely correlated with the presence of CCD‐specific IgE. These features were confirmed in the additional sample of alcoholics. Inhibition studies indicated a role of CCD interference in IgE positivity to pollen and Hymenoptera allergens in alcoholics. Conclusions CCD‐specific IgE is prevalent in heavy drinkers, and is associated with positive IgE to pollens and Hymenoptera venoms. Specific IgE results should be interpreted with caution in heavy drinkers.     

Stimulus-dependent activation of c-Fos in neurons and glia in the rat cerebellum

The intent of the present study was to use chemical or electrical stimulation of cerebellar afferents to determine how different stimulation paradigms affect the pattern of activation of different populations of neurons in the cerebellar cortex. Specifically, we analyzed immediate changes in neuronal activity, identified neurons affected by different stimulation paradigms, and determined the time course over which neuronal activity is altered. In the present study, we used either systemic (harmaline) or electrical stimulation of the inferior cerebellar peduncle (10 and 40 Hz) to alter the firing rate of climbing and mossy fiber afferents to the rat cerebellum and an antibody made against the proto-oncogene, c-fos, as a marker to identify activated neurons and glia. In control animals, only a few scattered granule cells express nuclear Fos-like immunoreactivity. Although no other cells show Fos-like immunoreactivity in their nuclei, Purkinje cells express Fos-like immunoreactivity within their somatic and dendritic cytoplasm in control animals. Within 15 min of chemical or electrical stimulation, numerous granule and glial cells express Fos-like immunoreactivity in their nuclei. Cells in the molecular layer express Fos-like immunoreactivity following harmaline stimulation in a time and lobule specific manner; they do not appear to be activated in the electrical stimulation paradigm. Following harmaline injections, there is an initial loss of Fos-like immunoreactivity in the cytoplasm of Purkinje cells; 90 min later, nuclear staining is observed in a few scattered Purkinje cells. Following electrical stimulation, the cytoplasmic staining in Purkinje cells is enhanced; it is never present in the nucleus. Data derived from this study reveal cell-specific temporal and spatial patterns of c-Fos activation that is unique to each paradigm. Further, it reveals the presence of an activity dependent protein in the cytoplasm of Purkinje cell somata and dendrites.