Efficacy of Chocolate on Hypercholestrolemic Rats

Chocolate comprises number of raw and processed foods produced from the seed of the tropical cocoa tree. Chocolate is produced from cocoa mass added with sugar and cocoa butter. Chocolate has been promoted for its health benefits, as it seems to possess substantial amount of antioxidant that reduces the formation of free radicals. Researchers concluded that chocolate containing higher amount of cocoa have higher procyanidins content, so higher antioxidant capacities. Evidence suggests that regular consumption of cocoa products containing flavanol may reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases. Thus, the present study was carried out to assess the effect of chocolate on lipid profile of hypercholesterolemic rats. The rats were grouped under three categories; Triton 400mg was injected to experimental rats to make it hypercholesterolemia. Based on the objectives a cocoa rich chocolate sample was developed using cocoa seed, cocoa butter, sugar and lecithin and the experimental hypercholesterolemia rates were feed with chocolate sample for duration of 20 days, and the lipid profile was analysed at initial and at final days of supplementation. During the period of supplementation, the Cholesterol and LDL level were decreased gradually which may be due to the supplementation of chocolate. Significant reduction was observed at 5% level. Thus, it was concluded that in the present study there was a significant effect on lipid profile of chocolate supplemented with hypercholesterolemic rats.

EFFECT OF DIHYDROQUERCETIN ON HYPERCHOLESTERINEMIA

The article is devoted to the study of the natural flavonoid dihydroquercetin (0.0125 g per 1 kg of animal weight in daily diet) effect on the development of experimental hypercholesterolemia in rabbits “Chinchilla”. Dihydroquercetin was obtained by extraction with ethyl acetate from crushed Siberian larch (Larix sibirica Ledeb., 1833) wood chips with several cycles of subsequent recrystallization from water (purity 90–92%). Hypercholesterolemia was induced by an atherogenic diet: 0.35 g of cholesterol in the diet per 1 kg of animal weight. The duration of the experiment was two months. It was shown that the introduction of dihydroquercetin into the daily diet of rabbits with alimentary hypercholesterolemia does not significantly affect the level of total cholesterol, as well as the concentration of its atherogenic fractions of LDL and VLDL in the blood. Nevertheless, it was found that, in comparison with the model of hypercholesterolemia, this natural compound contributes to the maintenance of an increased concentration of HDL cholesterol, which has an antiatherogenic effect. Accordingly, this reduces the value of the blood atherogenic coefficient, which reflects the degree of risk of atherosclerosis. In general, the data obtained predetermines the need for further research using various approaches to modeling hypercholesterolemia and atherosclerosis in experimental animals.

PECULIARITIES OF MORPHOLOGICAL CHANGES OF ENDOTHELIOCYTES AND REMODELING OF THE ARTERIES UNDER THE EXPERIMENTAL HYPERCHOLESTEROLEMIA

Introduction: Under the conditions of experimental hypercholesterolemia, endothelial dysfunction develops with the morphological marker which is an increase in the number of blood-circulating desquamated endothelial cells (DEC), but this situation needs to be clarified in the development of this pathology in the age aspect. The aim: To find out the features of remodeling of endothelial cells and arteries of the hind limbs in the rats of pre-repopductive and reproductive age with experimental hypercholesterolemia. Materials and methods: The experimental group consisted of 16 animals with biochemically confirmed hypercholesterolemia, which were divided into 2 groups: group 1 – 8 animals, aged 2–3 months, weighing 150–170 grams and group 2 – 8 rats aged from 11 to 11 months weighing 230–250 gram. The control group consisted of rats of the same age of 8 animals in each. Results: Hypercholesterolemia causes damage to the vascular endothelium of the arteries, which is characterized by an increase in the number of desquamated endothelial cells in the peripheral blood. The most circulating blood in desquamated endothelial cells was detected in 45 days of study in animals of reproductive age, where the number of desquamated endothelial cells increased by 2.56 times, and in animals of pre-reproductive age – 2.35 times. Morphological changes were characterized by thickening of the intima of the arteries of the femur, knee and tibia due to swelling of the endothelial cells, their desquamation and proliferative changes in places of preserved vascular endothelium. In response to the deposition of lipids and PAS-positive substrates, cellular reactions appeared as weak lymphocytic infiltration. In addition to hyperlastosis, fragmentation of elastic fibers was revealed. Correlation of intima contributed to the narrowing of vascular lumen. Lipids, xanthoma cells and sour mucopolysaccharides were accumulated in the inner membrane of the arteries. In addition to lymphocytic infiltrates, the amount of collagen fibers in adventitia increased. Conclusions: Under conditions of hypercholesterolemia the number of desquamated endothelial cells in the blood increases, and arterial remodeling is characterized by manifestations of hypertrophic-neoplastic remodeling in rats of pre-reproductive age, and in reproductive animals there were sclerotic and inflammatory changes.

ВЛИЯНИЕ ВЕЩЕСТВА НА ОСНОВЕ ФИБРОИНА ШЕЛКА НА ПОКАЗАТЕЛИ ЛИПИДНОГО ОБМЕНА У КРЫС С ЭКСПЕРИМЕНТАЛЬНОЙ ГИПЕРХОЛЕСТЕРИНЕМИЕЙ

The article presents the results of a study on the effectiveness of a substance based on silk fibroin, obtained at the Institute of Chemistry and Polymer Physics of the Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Uzbekistan, in eliminating disorders of lipid metabolism in the body. In experiments in rats with experimental hypercholesterolemia, the substance was found to have a cholesterol-lowering property, which is manifested by a decrease in cholesterol level both in blood and in tissues. Studies on the mechanism of the hypocholesterolemic effect of the studied substance have shown its effects on the enterohepatic pathway of bile acids, which makes it possible to classify this substance as a group of bile acid sequestrants.

AGE-RELATED MORPHOMETRIC CHARACTERISTICS OF REMODELING OF ARTERIAL BED OF HIND LIMBS IN WHITE RATS WITH EXPERIMENTAL HYPERCHOLESTEROLEMIA

Background. The human organism is constantly affected by metabolic risk factors. All of them for a long time are asymptomatic and often form in early childhood long before clinical manifestations. However, morphogenesis and morphofunctional features of age-related structural changes in blood vessels of different sites are poorly studied.Objective. To evaluate the morphometric characteristics of arterial bed remodeling of hind limbs in white rats of PRA and RA with experimentally induced hypercholesterolemia.Methods. The tissues biopsies from femoral, knee and shin areas were studied by means of histological and morphometric methods.Results. Experimental hypercholesterolemia caused remodeling of vessels with increasing thickness of medial and endothelial layer of vessels in the investigated parts of the rats’ body. In this case, the external diameter of vessels increased only in femoral area in the reproductive group of rats. In the group of pre-productive animals, the external diameter of the vessels studied was more or less unaffected. Thus, increased thickness of intima and media led to a decrease in arteries capacity. The depth of vascular lesions and the decrease in functional capacity of blood vessels were directly proportional to the duration of the experiment. In the group of reproductive rats, the changes in vascular bed were more evident.Conclusions. Objective study of the processes allows providing a scientific basis for further research and understanding of the pathomorphism of vascular diseases in humans.