Attenuation of Metabolic Syndrome by EPA/DHA Ethyl Esters in Testosterone-Deficient Obese Rats

Abstract

Inducing testosterone deficiency, as the standard treatment of prostate cancer, may cause metabolic disorders including insulin resistance, dyslipidemia, central obesity, cardiovascular diseases, and type 2 diabetes. This study measured responses to testosterone deficiency in high-carbohydrate, high-fat (H) diet-fed rats. We then tested whether eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA)/docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) ethyl esters (Omacor) reversed these metabolic changes. Male Wistar rats (8–9 weeks old) were divided into eight groups with four groups fed corn starch and four groups fed H diet. For each diet, one group received diet only; one group was orchidectomized; one group was given leuprolide (gonadotrophin-releasing hormone agonist, 2 mg/kg every 4th week); and the last group was treated with leuprolide and their diet was supplemented with 3% Omacor for the last eight weeks. The protocol was for 16 weeks. Leuprolide worsened metabolic syndrome symptoms and cardiovascular function, and orchidectomy produced greater responses. In H fed leuprolide-treated rats, Omacor decreased systolic blood pressure and left ventricular diastolic stiffness, reduced infiltration of inflammatory cells and collagen deposition in the heart, and reduced lipid accumulation and inflammatory cell infiltration without improving liver damage. These results suggest that Omacor has potential to attenuate metabolic complications in prostate cancer patients with induced testosterone deprivation.

Computer-Aided Drug Design (CADD) to De-Orphanize Marine Molecules: Finding Potential Therapeutic Agents for Neurodegenerative and Cardiovascular Diseases

“…In this work, by using different CADD techniques, we have been able to elucidate, from a set of marine molecules from benthic invertebrates, a list of potential targets related to neurodegenerative and cardiovascular pathologies, exemplifying at the same time the therapeutic potential of the marine molecules studied. In general, the therapeutic role of some marine molecules against neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer or Parkinson has been recently demonstrated [173][174][175][176][177] as well as in cardiovascular diseases [178][179][180]. All these facts support the results of the study herein presented.…”

Effects of Different n6/n3 PUFAs Dietary Ratio on Cardiac Diabetic Neuropathy

“…Moreover, in rats with STZ-induced DM, an improvement of cardiac function due to consumption of n3 PUFAs was observed, measured by increased cardiac output and ejection fraction, as well as stroke volume and stroke work [18]. In addition, in a rat model of metabolic syndrome eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA)/docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) ethyl esters (Omacor) reversed metabolic changes, decreased systolic blood pressure and left ventricular diastolic stiffness, reduced infiltration of inflammatory cells and collagen deposition in the heart, and reduced lipid accumulation and inflammatory cell infiltration [19]. Hence, there is an opinion that n3 PUFAs may protect against SCD [20].…”

Composition, functional properties and safety of honey: a review

“…MetS is the combination of abdominal obesity, hypertension, dyslipidemia and hyperglycemia, eventually leading to cardiovascular diseases 88 . Long‐term poor diet can destroy the balance between energy intake and expenditure, leading to the formation of free radicals; the excessive accumulation of free radicals will break redox homeostasis and ultimately lead to progression of MetS 89,90 . Honey has been reported to have the potential to prevent MetS (Fig.…”