Aspirin and atherosclerosisSeptember 23, 2008Appearing in the October issue of JLR Aspirin has become one of the most widely used medications in the world, owing to its ability to reduce pain, fevers, inflammation, and blood clotting. In animal studies, aspirin has also been shown to prevent atherosclerosis, though none of its known mechanisms of action would seem to account for this. In a new study, though, researchers have uncovered the mechanism that may explain aspirin's ability to prevent arterial plaque buildup. Using cell culture and mouse models, Sampath Parthasarathy and colleagues observed that aspirin -specifically its active byproduct salicylate- can greatly increase the expression of two proteins: paraoxonase 1 (PON1) and apolipoprotein A1 (ApoA1); in the mouse studies, low dose aspirin supplements could increase PON1 and ApoA1 levels by 7- and 12- fold, respectively. Both of these proteins are beneficial components of the HDL complex, the "good cholesterol" that helps prevent atherosclerosis; ApoA1 removes bad cholesterol from the bloodstream while PON1 is an antioxidant that breaks down toxic lipid peroxides. The researchers also noted that the heightened expression of PON1 was accompanied by an increase in a receptor called AHR (aryl hydrocarbon receptor); this was intriguing as a chemical known to attach to AHR is resveratrol, the "heart healthy" component of red wine. American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology |
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| Related Atherosclerosis Current Events and Atherosclerosis News Articles New guidelines aim to prevent unnecessary death from thoracic aortic disease When actor John Ritter died suddenly in 2003 from a tear in his thoracic aorta-the large artery that carries blood from the heart to the rest of the body-that tragedy brought attention to a rare but deadly condition that takes the lives of an estimated 10,000 Americans each year. Device advances interventional radiology treatment to clear blocked carotid arteries, prevent stroke An important interventional radiology advancement-the use of a new cerebral protection device in combination with FDA-approved carotid stents in high-surgical-risk patients-provides a minimally invasive, safe and effective way to prevent stroke from occurring during treatment to clear blocked carotid arteries. Vitamin D levels have different effects on atherosclerosis in blacks and whites Vitamin D is quickly becoming the "go-to" remedy for treating a wide range of illnesses, from osteoporosis to atherosclerosis. However, new evidence from a Wake Forest University School of Medicine study suggests that supplementing vitamin D in those with low levels may have different effects based on patient race and, in black individuals, the supplement could actually do harm. Transcendental Meditation activates default mode network, the brain's natural ground state A new EEG study conducted on college students at American University found they could more highly activate the default mode network, a suggested natural "ground state" of the brain, during their practice of the Transcendental Meditation technique. Weight loss diets significantly reverse arterial clogging -- Ben-Gurion University study A two-year study led by researchers at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (BGU) found that healthy, long-term weight loss diets can significantly reverse carotid (main brain artery) atherosclerosis, a direct risk factor for strokes and heart attacks. Extremes in sleep duration are related to increases in abdominal fat in minority young adults A study in the March 1 issue of the journal SLEEP shows that African-American and Hispanic young adults with short or long sleep durations had greater increases in belly fat over a five-year period compared with those who reported sleeping six to seven hours a night. UCLA study reveals how genes interact with their environment to cause disease A UCLA study reveals how human genes interact with their environment to boost disease risk. Cooling Inflammation for Healthier Arteries Agricultural Research Service (ARS)-funded scientists have reported new reasons for choosing "heart-healthy" oats at the grocery store. Test could predict which idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis patients will become severely ill A simple blood test could predict which patients with the lung-scarring disease known as idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) are soon to get far worse, an indicator that could one day influence their treatment, according to researchers at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. Research reveals how blood flow force protects blood vessels It is second nature for most of us that exercise protects against heart attack and stroke, but researchers have spent 30 years unraveling the biochemistry behind the idea. More Atherosclerosis Current Events and Atherosclerosis News Articles |
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