Background and Aim:Flaxseeds are known to have varying antihypercholesterolemic and antiatherogenic activity due to its lignan secoisolariciresinol diglucoside, alpha-linolenic acid, and omega-3 fatty acids. The beneficial effect of whole grain dietary flaxseed was evaluated experimentally in high cholesterol diet (HCD)-fed Wistar albino rats.Materials and Methods:Male Wistar albino rats (200 g) were divided into four groups of 12 rats each. Group I rats kept as control and given basal rat chew diet, Group II as positive control for induction of hypercholesterolemia and atherosclerosis by addition of 1% cholesterol and 15% saturated edible oil to the 1000 g of standard rat chew diet (HCD), Group III rats fed with whole grain flaxseed powder at 7.5 g/kg of rat/day in the standard rat chew diet and kept as flaxseed control, and Group IV rats supplemented with flaxseed at 7.5 g/kg of rat/day along with HCD and maintained for 90 days.Results:Group II rats revealed significantly (p<0.05) higher total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), and very LDL-C and significantly (p<0.05) reduced levels of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), whereas tissue antioxidants such as catalase, superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), glutathione reductase (GR), and glutathione S transferase (GST) were significantly (p<0.05) reduced, and lipid peroxidation products of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) level were nonsignificantly (p<0.05) increased in the heart and liver tissues. Flaxseeds supplementation along with HCD significantly ameliorated the serum levels of TC, TG, LDL-C, and HDL-C along with cellular antioxidant enzymes such as catalase, SOD, GPx, GR, GST, and non-significant amelioration of TBARS in the heart and liver tissues compared to Group II rats. Majority of the histopathologically initiated atherosclerotic changes in the aorta and fatty change in the liver of Group II were not observed in the flaxseed supplemented Group IV; however, interestingly proliferation of endothelial cells with new vascular channel formation in the liver and in between cardiac muscle fibers was observed in Group I and Group IV rats.Conclusion:The present study established the hypercholesterolemia with initiated atherosclerotic lesion in the aorta but unable to establish the atheromatous plaque in the aorta. Flaxseed supplementation along with HCD showed significant antihypercholesterolemic effect and ameliorated the changes of initiated atherosclerosis in the aorta. It needs further studies to explore all the possible beneficial effects and angiogenic properties of flaxseeds in the laboratory animals and human trials.
Background: Hyperlipidemia is the disorder of lipid metabolism, characterized by elevated serum total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) and very low-density lipoproteins cholesterol (VLDL-C) and decreased high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C). Atherosclerosis is a cardiovascular and fibroproliferative inflammatory disease commonly associated with dyslipidemia.Methods: The study was conducted using 24 Wistar male rats, divided into two groups of 12 rats each. Hyperlipidemia and atherosclerosis were induced by the addition of 1% cholesterol and 15% saturated oil to the 1000g of standard rat diet and given to group II rats. Group I kept as control and maintained for 90 days. Result: The present experiment established hyperlipidemia with a significant increase of TC, TG, LDL-C and decreased HDL-C cholesterol with initiated atherosclerotic lesions in the aorta and showed varying degrees of positivity with CD31, CD44, Cadherin and Beta-catenin proteins.
Background: Atherosclerosis is diverse disease with heterogenous mechanisms of progression and is an oxidative, chronic inflammatory and thrombotic disease produced by elevated level of low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) in the blood. Initiation of atherosclerosis begins with the production of various inflammatory cytokines and adhesive molecules on the endothelium of the large muscular arteries like aorta. The present study was carried out to know the expression of TNF-Alpha and IL-18 by real time PCR (Polymerase chain reaction).
Methods: Procured 24 Wistar albino rats and divided into two groups consisting of 12 rats in each. Atherosclerosis was induced by addition of 1% cholesterol and 15% saturated oil to the 1000g of standard rat diet and given to group II rats. Group I kept as control and maintained for 90 days.
Result: Group II rats clinically showed obesity with significant increase (p less than 0.05) in the body weight. TC, TG, LDL-C, VLDL-C were significantly (p less than 0.05) higher, whereas HDL-C was significantly (p less than 0.05) reduced. Atherogenic diet induced the initiation of atherosclerosis in the aorta with degeneration of endothelial cells, sub intimal lipid laden macrophages (foam cells), slight thickening of the tunica intima with proliferation of few SMCs in group I rats. Present study revealed positive expression of TNF- alpha and no expression of IL-18 cytokine in the aorta of group II rats by RT-PCR.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.