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The objective of this study was to evaluate potential anti-atherogenic properties of hen eggs enriched naturally with conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) isomers (cis-9, trans-11 and trans-10, cis-12). Eighteen apoE and LDL receptor double-knockout mice (apoE/LDLR 2/2 ), at the age of 4 months with pre-established atherosclerosis, were randomly assigned to three experimental groups (n 6) and fed AIN-93G-based diets for the next 2 months. The experimental diets were: AIN-93G þ CLA-free egg-yolk powder (control); AIN-93G þ CLA-free egg-yolk powder þ 0·1 % CLA (CLA-supplemented eggs); and AIN-93G þ CLA-enriched egg-yolk powder, providing 0·1 % CLA (CLA-enriched eggs). For assessment of anti-atherogenic properties of CLA-enriched or CLA-supplemented eggs the following criteria were used: (1) serum lipid profile; (2) development of atherosclerosis; and (3) composition of atherosclerotic plaque. CLA-enriched eggs, compared with CLA-supplemented eggs, reduced significantly (P,0·05) total plasma cholesterol in the mice. At the same time, both CLA-supplemented eggs and CLA-enriched eggs tended to decrease the size of atherosclerotic plaque in aortic roots of mice. Most importantly, atherosclerotic plaques of mice fed CLA-enriched eggs showed significantly (P, 0·05) reduced number of atherogenic macrophages and increased area occupied by smooth muscle cells in atherosclerotic lesions. In conclusion, CLA-enriched eggs exerted an anti-inflammatory effect more effectively than CLA-supplemented eggs. This anti-inflammatory effect can be considered their major functional claim that warrants further exploitation. Conjugated linoleic acid: apoE/LDLR 2/2 : Atherosclerosis: Composition of aortic plaque Conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) is a collective term to describe a class of positional and geometric isomers of linoleic acid (cis-9, cis-12 C18 : 2n-6) in which the two double bonds are separated by a single C-C bond, but not by a methylene group (-CH 2 -). CLA isomers are intermediate products of bacterial biohydrogenation of dietary unsaturated fatty acids in the rumen, and are mainly found in fat of ruminant milk and meat 1 .In the last 10 years, extensive research have indicated that commercial CLA preparations, fed to laboratory animals, showed several health-related properties, including antiadipogenic 2 -5 , anti-carcinogenic 6 -8 , anti-atherogenic 9 -15 and anti-inflammatory 16,17 effects. Consequently, in view of the evident health-related properties associated with CLA isomers and also in line with the concept of functional foods 18 , attempts have been made to enrich animal-derived foods with CLA isomers through animal nutrition strategies. Indeed, these attempts resulted in production of functional food such as CLA-enriched milk (butter, cheese), ruminant and non-ruminant meat, as well as eggs 19,20 -23 .Except for our preliminary studies 24 , there have been no data available on whether eggs, enriched naturally with CLA isomers, and fed to laboratory animals, could have healthrelated properties similar to those described f...

The well-documented relation between bone mineral density (BMD) and bone compression strength constitutes the basis for osteoporosis diagnostics and the assessment of fracture risk. Simultaneously, this relation demonstrates a considerable scatter of results as bones of identical mineral density may have significantly different properties. The experimentally confirmed theorem that two materials or tissues of identical microstructure have identical properties leads to the evaluation of various quantitative stereological parameters (also referred to in biomedicine as histomorphology). These parameters, obtained from analysis of 2D or 3D images, have been used in numerous attempts to explain changes in bone strength. Although numerous correlation dependencies, often with high correlation coefficients, were evaluated, we do not know which parameters are worth evaluating, and there is no physical interpretation of these relations. An extended statistical analysis was accomplished on the basis of analysis of 3D images from 23 lumbar (L3) vertebrae scanned with micro-CT and the results of subsequent compression tests. A new parameter called SDF (structure destruction factor) was proposed in order to characterise the quality of 3D trabecular structures, and its significance was demonstrated. The final correlation function, which uses only three stereological parameters, made it possible to predict compression strength with considerable precision. The estimated values correlated very well with the apparent values (correlation coefficient r=0.96). Finally, the stereological parameters most suitable for characterisation of bone compression strength were chosen and a mechanism responsible for the changes in mechanical properties was proposed. The results obtained defined the necessary improvements in diagnostic techniques that would allow for more efficient quantitative microstructure evaluation and guidelines on how to improve treatment of patients with weakened bones.

In the mouse model of dilated cardiomyopathy, endothelial dysfunction in coronary circulation is present in the late but not the early stage of heart failure pathology and is characterized by a decrease in NO bioavailability and a compensatory increase in PGI(2). Both the decrease in NO activity and the increase in PGI(2) activity may result from excessive O(2) (-) production by cardiac NADPH oxidase in Tgalphaq*44 hearts.

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