Recent studies indicate high density lipoproteins (HDL) and their major structural protein, apolipoprotein A1 (apoA1), recovered from human atheroma, are dysfunctional and extensively oxidized by myeloperoxidase (MPO), while in vitro oxidation of apoA1/HDL by MPO impairs its cholesterol acceptor function. We developed a high affinity monoclonal antibody (mAb) that specifically recognizes apoA1/HDL modified by the MPO/H2O2/Cl-system using phage display affinity maturation. An oxindolyl alanine (2-OH-Trp) moiety at tryptophan 72 of apoA1 is the immunogenic epitope. Mutagenesis studies confirm a critical role for apoA1 Trp72 in MPO-mediated inhibition of ABCA1-dependent cholesterol acceptor activity of apoA1 in vitro and in vivo. ApoA1 containing a 2-OH-Trp72 group (oxTrp72-apoA1) is in low abundance within the circulation, but accounts for 20% of the apoA1 in atherosclerotic plaque. OxTrp72-apoA1 recovered from human atheroma or plasma was lipid-poor, virtually devoid of cholesterol acceptor activity, and demonstrated both potent pro-inflammatory activities on endothelial cells and impaired HDL biogenesis activity in vivo. Elevated oxTrp72-apoA1 levels in subjects presenting to a cardiology clinic (n=627) were associated with increased cardiovascular disease risk. Circulating oxTrp72-apoA1 levels may serve as a way to monitor a pro-atherogenic process in the artery wall.

This review highlights the inflammatory and insulin-antagonizing effects of saturated fatty acids (SFA), which contribute to the development of metabolic syndrome. Mechanisms responsible for these unhealthy effects of SFA include: 1) accumulation of diacylglycerol and ceramide; 2) activation of nuclear factor-kappaB, protein kinase C-, and mitogen-activated protein kinases, and subsequent induction of inflammatory genes in white adipose tissue, immune cells, and myotubes; 3) decreased PPARgamma coactivator-1 alpha/beta activation and adiponectin production, which decreases the oxidation of glucose and fatty acids (FA); and 4) recruitment of immune cells like macrophages, neutrophils, and bone marrow-derived dendritic cells to WAT and muscle. Several studies have demonstrated potential health benefits of substituting SFA with unsaturated FA, particularly oleic acid and (n-3) FA. Thus, reducing consumption of foods rich in SFA and increasing consumption of whole grains, fruits, vegetables, lean meats and poultry, fish, low-fat dairy products, and oils containing oleic acid or (n-3) FA is likely to reduce the incidence of metabolic disease.

Obesity and metabolic disease-related health problems (e.g., type 2 diabetes, atherosclerosis, and hypertension) are the most prevalent nutrition-related issues in the United States. An emerging feature of obesity and type 2 diabetes is their linkage with chronic inflammation that begins in white adipose tissue and eventually becomes systemic. One potential strategy to reduce inflammation and insulin resistance is consumption of polyphenol-rich foods like grapes or their by-products, which have anti-inflammatory properties. Polyphenols commonly found in grape products have been reported to reduce inflammation by (a) acting as an antioxidant or increasing antioxidant gene or protein expression, (b) attenuating endoplasmic reticulum stress signaling, (c) blocking proinflammatory cytokines or endotoxin-mediated kinases and transcription factors involved in metabolic disease, (d) suppressing inflammatory- or inducing metabolic-gene expression via increasing histone deacetylase activity, or (e) activating transcription factors that antagonize chronic inflammation. Thus, polyphenol-rich grape products may reduce obesity-mediated chronic inflammation by multiple mechanisms, thereby preventing metabolic diseases.

These data suggest that quercetin is equally or more effective than trans-RSV in attenuating TNF-α-mediated inflammation and insulin resistance in primary human adipocytes.

mixtures of cis -9, trans -11 (9,11) conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) and trans -10, cis -12 (10,12) CLA. Indeed, consuming a mixture of these CLA isomers, or 10,12 CLA alone, reduced body fat in many animal (reviewed in Ref. 3 ) and human studies ( 4 ). Rodents that consumed higher amounts of the CLA than humans (e.g., 0.5-1.5% CLA in the diet or 600-1,800 mg/kg body weight) lost body fat more rapidly but concurrently developed side effects, including chronic infl ammation, insulin resistance, and lipoatrophy ( 5 ). Notably, intermediate levels of mixed CLA isomers (i.e., 0.1-0.3%, w/w) reduced adiposity in mice without adversely affecting liver weight or lipid content ( 6 ). However, individual isomers were not fed, the level of reduction in adiposity in the 0.1% group was marginal, and anti-obesity mechanisms were not identifi ed ( 6 ). In contrast, clinical trials routinely use lower doses of CLA (e.g., 3-6 g/day or 35-70 mg/kg body weight), although the relative decrease in adiposity is not as rapid or great as in the higher doses used in rodent studies.It has been reported that only the 10,12 CLA isomer reduces adiposity or delipidates adipocytes; however, at relatively high doses it also causes adverse side effects in Abstract The objective of this study was to examine the mechanism by which conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) reduces body fat. Young male mice were fed three combinations of fatty acids at three doses (0.06%, 0.2%, and 0.6%, w/w) incorporated into AIN76 diets for 7 weeks. The types of fatty acids were linoleic acid (control), an equal mixture of trans -10, cis -12 (10,12) CLA plus linoleic acid, and an equal isomer mixture of 10,12 plus cis -9, trans -11 (9,11) CLA. Mice receiving the 0.2% and 0.6% dose of 10,12 CLA plus linoleic acid or the CLA isomer mixture had decreased white adipose tissue (WAT) and brown adipose tissue (BAT) mass and increased incorporation of CLA isomers in epididymal WAT and liver. Notably, in mice receiving 0.2% of both CLA treatments, the mRNA levels of genes associated with browning, including uncoupling protein 1 (UCP1), UCP1 protein levels, and cytochrome c oxidase activity, were increased in epididymal WAT. CLA-induced browning in WAT was accompanied by increases in mRNA levels of markers of infl ammation. Muscle cytochrome c oxidase activity and BAT UCP1 protein levels were not affected by CLA treatment. These data suggest a linkage between decreased adiposity, browning in WAT, and low-grade infl ammation due to consumption of 10,12 CLA.