Nutrition
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Endovascular injury induced by balloon withdrawal leads to the increased activation of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) in the vascular wall allowing the proliferated smooth muscle cells (SMCs) to digest the surrounding extracellular matrix and migrate from the media into the intima leading to the intimal thickening. The objective of this study was to examine the effect of Nelumbo nucifera leaf extract (NL) on intimal thickening of rat carotid artery injured by balloon catheter and on the proliferation and migration of cultured vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) induced by tumor necrosis factor-α. ⋯ Thus, the results suggest that NL can be considered of therapeutic value in the prevention of atherosclerosis because restenosis after percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty can be considered a model of "accelerated atherosclerosis."
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Beneficial effects of aged garlic extract and coenzyme Q10 on vascular elasticity and endothelial function: the FAITH randomized clinical trial.
Aged garlic extract (AGE) is associated with a significant decrease in atherosclerotic plaque progression and endothelial function improvement. Similarly, coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) has significant beneficial effects on endothelial function. A stressful lifestyle is a well-known risk factor for the presence and progression of atherosclerosis. This study investigated the effect of AGE plus CoQ10 on vascular elasticity measured by pulse-wave velocity (PWV) and endothelial function measured by digital thermal monitoring (DTM) in firefighters. ⋯ The combination of AGE and CoQ10 was independently associated with significant beneficial effects on vascular elasticity and endothelial function in firefighters with high occupational stress, highlighting the important role of AGE and CoQ10 in atherosclerotic prevention of such individuals.
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Limited data are available on the incidence and risk factors for infection in patients requiring home parenteral nutrition (HPN). ⋯ Adult patients on HPN exhibit a very high incidence of post-hospital infections. Higher mean blood glucose levels during predischarge hospitalization and the use of peripherally inserted central catheters at discharge are associated with an increased risk of BSI in the postdischarge home setting.
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The aim of the present research was to show the characteristics of body composition in a sample of elderly subjects with type 2 diabetes compared with healthy controls matched by age and body mass index (BMI) by bioelectrical impedance vector analysis. ⋯ Older patients with type 2 diabetes were characterized by peculiar anthropometric and bioelectrical patterns, which can be related to their smaller appendicular muscular area and lower extracellular/intracellular water ratio.
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The objective of this study was to investigate the changes in the hepatic proteome of newborn piglets after maternal folic acid supplementation (FS). ⋯ These findings suggest that maternal FS alters the expression abundance of several hepatic proteins that are involved in metabolic regulation, oxidative responses, and cancer-related processes.