The prevalence of metabolic syndrome including central obesity, insulin resistance, impaired glucose tolerance, hypertension, and dyslipidemia is increasing. Development of adequate therapy for metabolic syndrome requires an animal model that mimics the human disease state. Therefore, we have characterized the metabolic, cardiovascular, hepatic, renal, and pancreatic changes in male Wistar rats (8-9 weeks old) fed on a high-carbohydrate, high-fat diet including condensed milk (39.5%), beef tallow (20%), and fructose (17.5%) together with 25% fructose in drinking water; control rats were fed a cornstarch diet. During 16 weeks on this diet, rats showed progressive increases in body weight, energy intake, abdominal fat deposition, and abdominal circumference along with impaired glucose tolerance, dyslipidemia, hyperinsulinemia, and increased plasma leptin and malondialdehyde concentrations. Cardiovascular signs included increased systolic blood pressure and endothelial dysfunction together with inflammation, fibrosis, hypertrophy, increased stiffness, and delayed repolarization in the left ventricle of the heart. The liver showed increased wet weight, fat deposition, inflammation, and fibrosis with increased plasma activity of liver enzymes. The kidneys showed inflammation and fibrosis, whereas the pancreas showed increased islet size. In comparison with other models of diabetes and obesity, this diet-induced model more closely mimics the changes observed in human metabolic syndrome.

Olive oil, an important component of the Mediterranean diet, produces cardioprotective effects, probably due to both oleic acid and the polyphenols such as oleuropein and hydroxytyrosol. Our aim in this study was to assess whether a polyphenol-enriched extract from the leaves of Olea europaea L. with oleuropein as the major component attenuated the cardiovascular, hepatic, and metabolic signs of a high-carbohydrate, high-fat (HCHF) diet (carbohydrate, 52%; fat, 24%, 25% fructose in drinking water) in rats. Male Wistar rats were fed either a cornstarch diet (CS) or a HCHF diet for a total of 16 wk. Diets of the treatment groups [CS+olive leaf extract (OLE) and HCHF+OLE] were supplemented with 3% OLE after 8 wk of being fed their respective CS or HCHF diets for a further 8 wk. After 16 wk, HCHF rats developed signs of metabolic syndrome, including elevated abdominal and hepatic fat deposition, collagen deposition in heart and liver, cardiac stiffness, and oxidative stress markers (plasma malondialdehyde and uric acid concentrations), with diminished aortic ring reactivity, abnormal plasma lipid profile, impaired glucose tolerance, and hypertension. Compared with HCHF rats, those in the HCHF+OLE group had improved or normalized cardiovascular, hepatic, and metabolic signs with the exception of elevated blood pressure. These results strongly suggest that an OLE containing polyphenols such as oleuropein and hydroxytyrosol reverses the chronic inflammation and oxidative stress that induces the cardiovascular, hepatic, and metabolic symptoms in this rat model of diet-induced obesity and diabetes without changing blood pressure.

Records from dogs (n = 125) that underwent attempted transarterial coil occlusion of patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) at the University of California, Davis, between 1998 and 2003, were reviewed, and a subset of these dogs (n = 31) in which the procedure was performed at least 12 months earlier were reexamined to determine long-term outcome. Coil implantation was achieved in 108 dogs (86%). Despite immediate complete ductal closure in only 34% of dogs, the procedure was hemodynamically successful as evidenced by a reduction in indexed left ventricular internal diameter in diastole (LVIDd; P < .0001), fractional shortening (P < .0001), and left atrial to aortic ratio (LA: Ao; P = .022) within 24 hours. Complete ductal closure was documented in 61% of dogs examined 12 to 63 months after coil occlusion. Long-standing residual ductal flow in the other 39% of dogs was not associated with increased indexed LVIDd or LA: Ao and was not hemodynamically relevant. Repeat intervention was deemed advisable in only 4 dogs with persistent (n = 1) or recurrent (n = 3) ductal flow. Complications included aberrant embolization (n = 27), death (n = 3), ductal reopening (n = 3), transient hemoglobinuria (n = 2), hemorrhage (n = 1), aberrant coil placement (n = 1), pulmonary hypertension (n = 1), and skin abscessation (n = 1). Serious infectious complications did not occur despite antibiotic administration to only 40% of these dogs. Transarterial coil occlusion was not possible in 14 dogs (11%) because of coil instability in the PDA and was associated with increased indexed minimum ductal diameter (P = .03), LVIDd (P = .0002), LVIDs (P = 0.001), and congestive left heart failure (P = .03) reflecting a relatively large shunt volume.

Records from dogs (n = 125) that underwent attempted transarterial coil occlusion of patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) at the University of California, Davis, between 1998 and 2003, were reviewed, and a subset of these dogs (n = 31) in which the procedure was performed at least 12 months earlier were reexamined to determine long-term outcome. Coil implantation was achieved in 108 dogs (86%). Despite immediate complete ductal closure in only 34% of dogs, the procedure was hemodynamically successful as evidenced by a reduction in indexed left ventricular internal diameter in diastole (LVIDd; P < .0001), fractional shortening (P < .0001), and left atrial to aortic ratio (LA: Ao; P = .022) within 24 hours. Complete ductal closure was documented in 61% of dogs examined 12 to 63 months after coil occlusion. Long-standing residual ductal flow in the other 39% of dogs was not associated with increased indexed LVIDd or LA: Ao and was not hemodynamically relevant. Repeat intervention was deemed advisable in only 4 dogs with persistent (n = 1) or recurrent (n = 3) ductal flow. Complications included aberrant embolization (n = 27), death (n = 3), ductal reopening (n = 3), transient hemoglobinuria (n = 2), hemorrhage (n = 1), aberrant coil placement (n = 1), pulmonary hypertension (n = 1), and skin abscessation (n = 1). Serious infectious complications did not occur despite antibiotic administration to only 40% of these dogs. Transarterial coil occlusion was not possible in 14 dogs (11%) because of coil instability in the PDA and was associated with increased indexed minimum ductal diameter (P = .03), LVIDd (P = .0002), LVIDs (P = 0.001), and congestive left heart failure (P = .03) reflecting a relatively large shunt volume.

Both SL and TCO are acceptable PDA treatments with comparable mortality; however, SL was associated with a higher risk of major complications and TCO was associated with a lower initial success rate.