Valéria S Nunes - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Papers by Valéria S Nunes

Circulation, Nov 20, 2012

Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular Biology, 2014

Introduction: interesterified fats, rich in saturated fatty acid, have been used by food industry... more Introduction: interesterified fats, rich in saturated fatty acid, have been used by food industry to replace trans. Palmitic acid is the most common dietary fat with known deleterious effects. On the hand stearic acid which is consumed in a low amount, has neutral effect on plasma lipids. Unlike vegetable oils, interesterified fats contain palmitic or stearic acid in the sn-2 position and the positional compositon of triglicerides may regulate its metabolic fate. Thus, the aim of this study was to evaluate the effect on the liver metabolism of the interesterified fats rich in stearic or palmitic fatty acids. Methods: Weaning LDLr-KO male mice were randomly distributed into five groups fed a high fat diet (40% of energy as fat) containing polyunsaturated (PUFA), palmitic (PALM), palmitic interesterified (PALM INTER), stearic (STEAR) or stearic interesterified (STEAR INTER) during 16 weeks. Total plasma cholesterol and triglyceride concentrations, liver total cholesterol, triglyceride...

Nutrients, 2019

Interesterified fats are being widely used by the food industry in an attempt to replace trans fa... more Interesterified fats are being widely used by the food industry in an attempt to replace trans fatty acids. The effect of interesterified fats containing palmitic or stearic acids on lipid metabolism and inflammatory signaling pathways in adipose and hepatic tissues was evaluated. Male LDLr-KO mice were fed a high-fat diet containing polyunsaturated (PUFA), palmitic (PALM), palmitic interesterified (PALM INTER), stearic (STEAR), or stearic interesterified (STEAR INTER) fats for 16 weeks. The expression of genes and protein levels involved in lipid metabolism and inflammatory processes in liver and white adipose tissue was determined by quantitative RT-PCR and by Western blot, respectively. The infiltration of inflammatory cells in hepatic and adipose tissues was determined by eosin and hematoxylin, while liver collagen content was determined by Sirius Red staining. Both interesterified fats increased liver collagen content and JNK phosphorylation. Additionally, the STEAR INTER group...

Life sciences, Jan 10, 2016

The mechanisms by which exercise affects atherosclerotic plaque stability remain incompletely und... more The mechanisms by which exercise affects atherosclerotic plaque stability remain incompletely understood. We evaluated the effects of two training protocols on both atherosclerotic plaque structure and the signaling pathways involved in plaque rupture. Male low-density lipoprotein (LDL) receptor knockout mice were fed a high-fat, high-cholesterol diet (HFD). One group was subjected to moderate exercise using a treadmill for 14weeks (preventive protocol). The other group started an exercise regimen after 16weeks of the HFD (therapeutic group). Atherosclerotic plaques within the aorta were evaluated for lipid and collagen contents, as well as for inflammatory markers. Plasma cholesterol and cytokine levels were also determined. The mice receiving a HFD developed hypercholesterolemia and atherosclerotic plaques within the aorta. The aortas from the animals in the preventive protocol exhibited smaller lipid cores and higher collagen content. These animals also exhibited lower CD40 expre...

BMC Gastroenterology, 2015

Background: The relationship between nutrition and Crohn's disease (CD) is complex and involves s... more Background: The relationship between nutrition and Crohn's disease (CD) is complex and involves several therapeutic possibilities including: nutrition treatment for malnourished patients, optimization of growth and development, prevention of osteoporosis, first-line therapy for active disease, and maintenance of disease remission. In children and adolescents with CD, malnutrition is a common problem that adversely affects the prognosis. In at-risk adolescent CD patients, it is important to assess body composition, food intake, energy expenditure, nutrient balance and serum levels of nutrients before planning interventions for this population. The aim of this study was to provide a snapshot of the nutritional status of adolescents with CD in Brazil. Methods: We prospectively selected 22 patients with mildly to moderately active CD, 29 patients with inactive CD and 35 controls (first-degree relatives of and in the same age bracket as the CD patients). The age range of participants was between 13.2 and 19.4 years old. We collected anthropometric data including weight, height, and body mass index (BMI), which were expressed as Z scores: weight-forage , height-forage and BMI-forage , respectively, as well as using bioimpedance to determine body composition and assessing the Tanner stage. We also assessed macronutrients and micronutrients (serum levels and dietary intake of both). We used the chi-square test to determine whether any of the studied variables were associated with inactive or active CD. The level of significance was set at 5 % (p < 0.05). We have written informed parental consent for participation for any minors and written informed consent for any participants that were adults. Results: The mean values for lean body mass, Tanner stage, height-forage Z score and BMI-forage Z score were lower in the active CD group than in the inactive CD and control groups (p < 0.05 for both). Compared with the controls, the CD patients showed significant differences in terms of the quality of dietary intake (particularly in caloric intake, dietary protein intake, dietary fiber intake, and micronutrient intake), which were reflected in the serum levels of nutrients, mainly vitamins A and E (p < 0.05). Conclusions: Adolescents with CD (including those with mildly to moderately active or inactive disease) have a nutritional risk, which makes it important to conduct nutritional assessments in such patients.

Atherosclerosis Supplements, 2003

Atherosclerosis Supplements, 2010

$Research paper thumbnail of Th-P15:215 Macrophage cholesterol efflux and LDL antioxidant effects elicited by human HDL subfractions are not altered by differences in dietary fatty acids$

Atherosclerosis Supplements, 2006

We analyzed the role of aerobic exercise training (AET) on plasma lipids, generation of pre-betal... more We analyzed the role of aerobic exercise training (AET) on plasma lipids, generation of pre-betal HDL, HDL3 ability to remove cell cholesterol (chol) and to inhibit LDL oxidation. Methods: Healthy controls (C, n=13) and type 2 diabetes mellitus patients

Atherosclerosis Supplements, 2001

Atherosclerosis Supplements, 2005

Free Radical Research, 2014

Cholesterol undergoes oxidation via both enzymatic stress- and free radical-mediated mechanisms, ... more Cholesterol undergoes oxidation via both enzymatic stress- and free radical-mediated mechanisms, generating a wide range of oxysterols. In contrast to oxidative stress-driven metabolites, enzymatic stress-derived oxysterols are scarcely studied in their association with atherosclerotic disease in humans. 24S-hydroxycholesterol (24S-HC), 25-hydroxycholesterol (25-HC), and 27-hydroxycholesterol (27-HC) were assessed in plasma and arteries with atherosclerotic plaques from 10 patients (54-84 years) with severe peripheral artery disease (PAD) as well as arteries free of atherosclerotic plaques from 13 individuals (45-78 years, controls). Plasma 25-HC was higher in PAD individuals than in controls (6.3[2] vs. 3.9[1.9] ng/mgCol; p = 0.004). 24S-HC and 27-HC levels were, respectively, five- and 20-fold higher in the arterial tissue of PAD individuals than in those of the controls (p = 0.016 and p = 0.001). Plasma C-reactive protein correlated with plasma 24-HC (r = 0.51; p = 0.010), 25-HC (r = 0.75; p &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt; 0.001), 27-HC (r = 0.48; p = 0.015), and with tissue 24S-HC (r = 0.4; p = 0.041) and 27-HC (r = 0.46; p = 0.023). Arterial intima accumulation of 27-HC and 24S-HC is associated with advanced atherosclerotic disease and systemic inflammatory activity in individuals with severe PAD.

Jornal Brasileiro de Patologia e Medicina Laboratorial, 2013

Introduction: The development of research for diagnosis, prevention and treatment of atherosclero... more Introduction: The development of research for diagnosis, prevention and treatment of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease is of utmost importance due to the fact that it is the main cause of morbidity and mortality in Brazil. Objective: To demonstrate the phases of the selection process for candidates with the aim to develop a clinical-laboratorial database of hyper alpha lipoproteinemic patients (hyper A)-high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) ≥ 68 mg/dl) and hypo alpha lipoproteinemic patients (hypo A)-HDL-C ≤ 39 mg/dl. Material and methods: The volunteers were contacted after selection of lipid profiles from individuals treated at the Sistema Único de Saúde (SUS), Campinas-SP and neighboring area. Afterwards, the selected patients went through blood collection, clinical examinations and answered questionnaires on dietary frequency and physical activity. After this preliminary evaluation, some individuals were convened to another blood collection and, subsequently, were submitted to an ultrasonographic exam of the carotid arteries. Results: Only 0.6% and 0.3% from 598,288 lipid profiles were selected for hyper A and hypo A groups, respectively, including gender disparity. Lack of effective questionnaires (75%), missing calls (60%) and non-inclusion were the major hindrances in the construction of this database. Discussion: The difficulties to obtain eligible candidates were also due to the low prevalence of both groups hypo A and hyper A and the high prevalence of pathologies that contribute to non-genetic variations of HDL-C. Conclusion: In spite of the obstacles in the development of this database, this study brought about several scientific publications. Furthermore, the development of molecular analyzes and functionality will shortly generate other findings, contributing to the diagnosis and follow-up of HDL dyslipidemias.

Atherosclerosis Supplements, 2008

Background and aims: The PROVE-IT TIMI2 trial has demonstrated the benefits of aggressive LDL-C l... more Background and aims: The PROVE-IT TIMI2 trial has demonstrated the benefits of aggressive LDL-C lowering with high dose atorvastatin (80 mg per day) compared to generic pravastatin (40 mg per day) to prevent death or major cardiovascular events in patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS). The study measured the incremental cost-per-life year saved of the stategy in the French context. Method: A model was developed based on the clinical results of the PROVE-IT trial and on Framingham predictive equations of survival after cardiovascular events. Direct medical costs per event were considered, using data from the French National Cost per Stay survey, providing full costs for public hospitals. Results: The daily cost of treatment with atorvastatin was 1.54 € vs 0.94€ for pravastatin. The total average cost per patient over two years in the atorvastatin group was 3,471 € vs 3,543 € in the pravastatin group. The incremental number of life-years saved per patient was 0.092, or 1.11 months. High dose atorvastatin was cost-saving. With a 20% reduction in the effectiveness of prevention in both groups due to compliance, an extra cost of 80 € was observed with atorvastatin, leading to an incremental cost-per-life year saved of 1,075 € per year. Conclusion: Aggressive lowering of LDL-C for ACS patients is effective in preventing deaths and severe cardio-vascular events and can be cost-saving. Identical results were found in the USA, with a high cost saving of $ 1,612 per patient when atorvastatin was compared to a generic statin.

PLoS ONE, 2014

Background: Misclassification of patients as low cardiovascular risk (LCR) remains a major concer... more Background: Misclassification of patients as low cardiovascular risk (LCR) remains a major concern and challenges the efficacy of traditional risk markers. Due to its strong association with cholesterol acceptor capacity, high-density lipoprotein (HDL) size has been appointed as a potential risk marker. Hence, we investigate whether HDL size improves the predictive value of HDL-cholesterol in the identification of carotid atherosclerotic burden in individuals stratified to be at LCR. Methods and Findings: 284 individuals (40-75 years) classified as LCR by the current US guidelines were selected in a three-step procedure from primary care centers of the cities of Campinas and Americana, SP, Brazil. Apolipoprotein Bcontaining lipoproteins were precipitated by polyethylene glycol and HDL size was measured by dynamic light scattering (DLS) technique. Participants were classified in tertiles of HDL size (,7.57; 7.57-8.22; .8.22 nm). Carotid intima-media thickness (cIMT) ,0.90 mm (80 th percentile) was determined by high resolution ultrasonography and multivariate ordinal regression models were used to assess the association between cIMT across HDL size and levels of lipid parameters. HDLcholesterol was not associated with cIMT. In contrast, HDL size .8.22 nm was independently associated with low cIMT in either unadjusted and adjusted models for age, gender and Homeostasis Model Assessment 2 index for insulin sensitivity,

Metabolism, 2001

Thyroid dysfunction produces multiple alterations in plasma lipoprotein levels, including high-de... more Thyroid dysfunction produces multiple alterations in plasma lipoprotein levels, including high-density lipoprotein (HDL). Cholesteryl ester transfer protein (CETP) and hepatic lipase (HL) are important proteins that modulate the metabolism of HDL. Thus, the effect of thyroid hormone on the activities of CETP and of HL was investigated using hypothyroid and hyperthyroid CETP transgenic (Tg) and nontransgenic (nTg) mice. Hyperthyroid Tg mice plasma lipoprotein (LP) profile analysis showed a significant increase in the very-low-density lipoprotein (VLDL) fraction (P <.001) and decrease in the HDL fraction (P <.005), whereas in the hypothyroid Tg mice an increase in low-density lipoprotein (LDL) was observed (P <.02). CETP activity was measured as the transfer of (14)C-cholesteryl ester (CE) from labeled HDL to LDL by an isotopic assay indicative of mass. Hyperthyroid Tg mice had twice as much plasma CETP activity as compared with their controls, while in hypothyroid Tg mice plasma CETP activity did not change. The role of CETP in determining the changes in LP profile of hyperthyroid animals was confirmed by showing that nTg wild-type hyperthyroid and euthyroid mice exhibited the same percent cholesterol distribution in LP. Postheparin HL activity measured in hyperthyroid Tg mice was significantly reduced (P <.05). (3)H-cholesteryl oleoyl ether ((3)H-Cet)-HDL plasma fractional removal rate (FRR) was approximately 2-fold faster in the hyperthyroid Tg mice than in controls, but was not modified in hypothyroid animals. Tissue uptake of (3)H-Cet was examined in 10 tissue samples: levels were significantly increased in skeletal muscle and decreased in small intestine in hyperthyroid Tg mice, and decreased in the small intestine of hypothyroid Tg mice. In conclusion, the excess of thyroid hormone accelerates HDL metabolism in CETP transgenic mice mainly due to an increase in plasma CETP activity and independently from the HL activity. Hypothyroid status did not change CETP activity and HDL metabolism.

Clinica Chimica Acta, 2011

The antiatherogenic functions of high density lipoprotein (HDL-C) include its role in reverse cho... more The antiatherogenic functions of high density lipoprotein (HDL-C) include its role in reverse cholesterol transport, but to what extent the concentration of HDL-C interferes with the whole-body cholesterol metabolism is unknown. Therefore, we measured markers of body cholesterol synthesis (desmosterol and lathosterol) and of intestinal cholesterol absorption (campesterol and β-sitosterol) in healthy subjects that differ according to their plasma HDL-C concentrations. Healthy participants presented either low HDL-C (&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt; 40 mg/dl, n=33, 17 male and 16 female) or high HDL-C (&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt; 60 mg/dl, n=33, 17 male and 16 female), BMI&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt; 30 kg/m², were paired according to age and gender, without secondary factors that might interfere with their plasma lipid concentrations. Plasma concentrations of non-cholesterol sterols were measured by the combined GC-MS analysis. Plasma desmosterol did not differ between the two groups; however, as compared with the high HDL-C participants, the low HDL-C participants presented higher concentration of lathosterol and lower concentration of the intestinal cholesterol absorption markers campesterol and β-sitosterol. Plasma concentrations of HDL, and not the activities of LCAT and CETP that regulate the reverse cholesterol transport system, correlate with plasma sterol markers of intestinal cholesterol absorption directly, and of cholesterol synthesis reciprocally.

Chronobiology International, 2013

Assessment of lipid profile parameters has been considered a cornerstone in classifying individua... more Assessment of lipid profile parameters has been considered a cornerstone in classifying individuals and populations at risk for cardiovascular disease. Recently, however, preliminary data have raised the possibility of seasonal variations in these parameters, which may cause under- or overestimation. Biological rhythms and seasonal variation of lipid profile was investigated in 227 359 consecutive individuals who underwent health checkups in primary care centers between 2008 and 2010. Plasma low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;130 mg/dL was 8% more prevalent during winter than summer, with a larger difference among women and middle-aged adults (p &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt; 0.001). High-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;40 mg/dL and triglycerides (TG) &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;150 mg/dL were respectively 9% and 5% more prevalent during the summer (p &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt; 0.001). Variation amplitude was 3.4 ± 0.3 mg/dL for HDL-C (p = 0.005), 7 ± 2 mg/dL for LDL-C (p = 0.047), and 12 ± 9 mg/dL for TG (p = 0.058). Based on a large population sample, this study confirms the existence of biological rhythms and seasonal variation in lipid profile. This finding must be particularly accounted for in cross-sectional analyses of relative risk, prevalence, or the rate of goal achievement for lipid parameters.

Atherosclerosis, 1996

... states. Ana Maria P. Lottenberg a , Valeria S. Nunes a , Simão A. Lottenberg a , Alice FM Shi... more ... states. Ana Maria P. Lottenberg a , Valeria S. Nunes a , Simão A. Lottenberg a , Alice FM Shimabukuro a , Alexandre JF Carrilho a , Sandra Malagutti a , Edna R. Nakandakare a , Ruth McPherson b and Eder CR Quintão a , *. ...