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The early atherosclerotic lesion, the fatty streak, consists of cholesteryl ester-containing foam cells originating mainly from monocyte-macrophages and to a lesser extent from smooth muscle cells. In this study, we describe lipoprotein uptake and cholesterol accumulation into enzyme-dispersed primary cell cultures from cholesterolfed rabbit aortas and human aortic fatty streaks. Uptake of fluorescently labelled acetylated low density lipoprotein (acetyl-LDL) was demonstrable in macrophage-derived foam cells and in many smooth muscle cells in early primary cultures. The uptake of acetyl-LDL led to significantly enhanced cellular esterification of cholesterol. Fluorescent β-migrating very low density lipoprotein (β-VLDL) was internalized by a considerable number of lesion macrophages and also by smooth muscle cells. Also β-VLDL uptake stimulated cholesterol esterification, although the effect was milder than that of acetyl-LDL. These findings lend support to the assumption that, during atherogenesis, arterial macrophages are capable of accumulating cholesteryl esters by receptor-mediated uptake of β-VLDL and modified LDL. The internalization of modified LDL by smooth muscle cells represents a mechanism potentially contributing to the formation of foam cells in the atherosclerotic lesion. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Narrowings of the coronary arteries were measured in 94 infants aged < 1 year who died in hospital and 102 1- to 16-year-old children who died accidentally. The arteries were transformed mathematically to circles. The degree of narrowing camed by intimal thickening was determined as the ratio of intimal area to the original luminal area. This ratio was further transformed to percentage.The degree of narrowing varied between 0 and 58% (mean 20%). The mean degree of narrowing in the left coronary artery during the first year of life was 177% and, between 12 and 15 years, 34%. Narrowing was greater in males (P = 0·02), when all the 333 coronary samples were included in the analysis.The birthplaces, the subjects’ grandparents were traced from population registers and it was found that narrowing in the left coronary artery of infants was greater in those descended from grandparents from eastern Finland, an area of high mortality from coronary heart disease (CHD). Intimal thickening in infants and children seems to be a morphological manifestation of hereditary predisposition to CHD. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Adipose tissue (AT) biopsies were performed in a random population sample of 74 clinically healthy middle-aged men (40–49 years) from southern Italy. The percentage of saturated fatty acids (FA) in AT was directly correlated with systolic (SBP) and diastolic (DBP) blood pressure (p<0.01). This relationship was independent of smoking habit and body weight. AT of men in the upper DBP quintile (range 90–102 mm Hg) was significantly richer in palmitic acid (p<0.01) compared to that of men in the lowest DBP quintile. Dietary history demonstrated that the overall intake of saturated fat (% energy) was similar in the two extreme DBP quintiles. There was a relatively higher consumption of fish by those in the lowest DBP quintile (p<0.05). The amount of monounsaturated fat consumed (% energy) was also higher (p< 0.05) in men with low blood pressure. Men in the upper quintile of DBP consumed more eggs (p<0.05). [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The fatty acid composition of 48 samples of banked human milk for preterm infants and four standard infants formulas available in Finland were analysed by capillary gas liquid chromatography. The banked milk was collected from mothers who had given birth 0-8 weeks previously. Saturated fatty acids accounted for approximately 50% of the fatty acids in both human milk and the formulas, while the relative content of monoenoic fatty acids tended to be higher in human milk than in the formulas. The relative content of 18:2n-6 was higher in the formulas (range 14.7%-23.2%) than in human milk (median 9.1%, range 6.3%-13.4%). Fat of banked human milk contained 0.9% and 0.7% polyunsaturated fatty acids with 20 and 22 carbon atoms (LCP), respectively, which is comparable to that of fresh mature human milk. In contrast, LCP could not be detected in any of the formulas. Conclusion. Banked human milk is a good source of LCP and offers a good alternative to LCP containing formulas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effect of 1 wk of supervised fasting on plasma lipid concentrations in subjects with different apolipoprotein E (apo E) phenotypes was studied in 58 healthy free-living volunteers. The participants consumed an 870-kJ(208 kcal)/d liquid diet containing fruit and berry juices, tea, and water. The decline in plasma total cholesterol during 1 wk of fasting was 0.46 mmol/L in women and 0.35 mmol/L in men. The decreases were significant in both women and men. The response patterns of plasma total cholesterol were not significantly different between the sexes. In men, the changes in plasma low-density-lipoprotein cholesterol during the fast differed significantly (P = 0.0181) between the apo E phenotypes, whereas in women there were no differences due to phenotype (P = 0.695). The magnitude of the change in plasma triacylglycerol during the fast was different between the sexes (P = 0.0099). The changes in plasma triacylglycerols differed significantly between apo E phenotype groups in men (P = 0.0295) but not in women (P = 0.0661). Statistical comparison between different apo E phenotypes was performed with and without the small apo E3,2+E2,2 group, with essentially similar results. During fasting, plasma high-density-lipoprotein cholesterol concentrations decreased slightly but not significantly. The study shows significant differences in the associations of apo E alleles and sex on plasma lipid responses during fasting and illustrates the importance of gene-diet interactions in the regulation of lipid metabolism in humans. Copyright (c) 1997 American Society for Clinical Nutrition [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The serum concentration of lipids and composition of fatty acids after overnight fasting were studied in 18 patients with rheumatoid arthritis treated for 12 weeks with either 20 ml of evening primrose oil containing 9% of gamma-linolenic acid or olive oil. The serum concentrations of oleic acid, eicosapentaenoic acid, and apolipoprotein B decreased and those of linoleic acid, gamma-linolenic acid, dihomo-gamma-linolenic acid, and arachidonic acid increased during treatment with evening primrose oil. During olive oil treatment the serum concentration of eicosapentaenoic acid decreased and those of high density lipoprotein-cholesterol and apolipoprotein A-I increased slightly. The decrease in serum eicosapentaenoic acid and the increase in arachidonic acid concentrations induced by evening primrose oil may not be favourable effects in patients with rheumatoid arthritis in the light of the roles of these fatty acids as precursors of eicosanoids. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Composition of the skin surface lipids of rats aged 3-14 weeks was analysed with thin-layer and gas-liquid chromatography. It was found that hypophysectomy of female rats aged 3 weeks was followed by distinct changes in the relative amounts of both the unhydrolysed lipid fractions and the different fatty acids. The changes in composition brought about by testosterone treatment in the hypophysectomized animals and by age in the intact male rats were in many respects parallel with each other and opposite to the changes caused by hypophysectomy. The pre-hypophysectomy composition was not, however, completely restored by testosterone or by simultaneous treatment with both testosterone and oestradiol. Oestradiol had no clearly specific effect on the composition, but growth hormone given to the hypophysectomized animals appeared to give partial protection against the changes in composition produced by hypophysectomy. The ratio of palmitic to stearic acid was found to be of value as an indicator of the activity of the sebaceous glands. There was a good positive correlation between this ratio and the production rate of sebum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]