Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UMLS:C0948265 (metabolic syndrome)
 24,271 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Insulin resistance is a major contributor to macro- and microvascular complications, particularly in the presence of the metabolic syndrome, and is also associated with polycystic ovary syndrome. Impaired nitric oxide metabolism and endothelial function are important components of the vascular disease. Increasing the bioavailability of arginine, the precursor of nitric oxide, thus potentially offers protection against end-stage disease. We have recently demonstrated that dietary supplementation with a novel silicate inositol arginine complex reduces vasculopathy and glomerular sclerosis in the insulin-resistant JCR:LA-cp rat. The objective of this study was to address the absorption of, and the underlying metabolic alterations caused by, the arginine silicate inositol complex and arginine HCl (as a reference agent) in obese insulin-resistant male and female JCR:LA-cp rats. Male and female rats were treated with the preparations at 1.0 mg/(kg d) (expressed as arginine HCl) from 8 to 12 and 12 to 18 weeks of age, respectively. Obese female, but not male, rats treated with the arginine silicate inositol complex showed a reduced rate of weight gain without concomitant reduction in food intake. Plasma silicon levels were raised very significantly in arginine silicate-treated rats, consistent with significant absorption of the complex. In male rats, arginine levels were elevated by treatment with arginine silicate only; and female rats responded to both preparations. Plasma concentrations of oxides of nitrogen in rats treated with the silicate complex showed a dimorphism, decreasing in male and increasing in female rats. Fasting insulin levels were elevated in male rats treated with the arginine silicate complex, whereas fasting and postprandial insulin levels were decreased in female rats. Furthermore, female, but not male, rats treated with either of the arginine preparations showed significant reductions in cholesterol, triglyceride, and phospholipid concentrations. We conclude that the arginine silicate inositol complex is absorbed efficiently, raising plasma arginine levels, and is more biologically effective than the free amino acid hydrochloride. This has different beneficial metabolic effects in both sexes of an animal model of insulin resistance and cardiovascular disease, consistent with reduction in end-stage disease.
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PMID:Metabolic effects of a novel silicate inositol complex of the nitric oxide precursor arginine in the obese insulin-resistant JCR:LA-cp rat. 1788 39

Watermelon is rich in L-citrulline, an effective precursor of L-arginine. This study was conducted to determine whether dietary supplementation with watermelon pomace juice could ameliorate the metabolic syndrome in the Zucker diabetic fatty (ZDF) rat, an animal model of noninsulin-dependent diabetes mellitus. Nine-week-old ZDF rats were assigned randomly to receive drinking water containing 0% (control) or 0.2% L-arginine (as 0.24% L-arginine-HCl), 63% watermelon pomace juice, 0.01% lycopene, or 0.05% citrus pectin (n = 6 per treatment). At the end of the 4-wk supplementation period, blood samples, aortic rings, and hearts were obtained for biochemical and physiological analyses. Feed or energy intakes did not differ among the 5 groups of rats. However, dietary supplementation with watermelon pomace juice or L-arginine increased serum concentrations of arginine; reduced fat accretion; lowered serum concentrations of glucose, free fatty acids, homocysteine, and dimethylarginines; enhanced GTP cyclohydrolase-I activity and tetrahydrobiopterin concentrations in the heart; and improved acetylcholine-induced vascular relaxation. Compared with the control, dietary supplementation with lycopene or citrus pectin did not affect any measured parameter. These results provide the first evidence to our knowledge for a beneficial effect of watermelon pomace juice as a functional food for increasing arginine availability, reducing serum concentrations of cardiovascular risk factors, improving glycemic control, and ameliorating vascular dysfunction in obese animals with type-II diabetes.
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PMID:Dietary supplementation with watermelon pomace juice enhances arginine availability and ameliorates the metabolic syndrome in Zucker diabetic fatty rats. 1802 83

There is a well-established association between serum cholesterol and coronary heart disease. Statins are the first-line agents for the treatment of hypercholesterolemia, yet combination therapy is required to achieve the desired reduction in low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C). Niacin and bile acid sequestrants were among the first lipid-lowering drugs developed to lower LDL-C and have been established to be effective both in monotherapy and in combination therapy. However, tolerability and compliance issues have limited their use. Colesevelam HCl is the newest bile acid sequestrant and reduces LDL-C by 16-22% in monotherapy and adds 12-14% in combination dual therapy with statins, fibrates and ezetimibe or in triple therapy with statin and ezetimibe. It reduces C-reactive protein levels by 16-19% in monotherapy or by 23% in combination with statins and other lipid-lowering therapies. In addition, it consistently reduces hemoglobin A1c by 0.5% in addition to other hypoglycemic drugs in studies of patients with diabetes. Compared with other bile acid sequestrants it has a higher bile acid-binding capacity, reduced adverse effects and, therefore, has better compliance. Colesevelam HCl is thus a useful addition to the lipid-lowering formulary as a second-line agent, particularly for patients with metabolic syndrome requiring extra reduction in LDL-C.
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PMID:Colesevelam: an improved bile acid sequestrant for treating hypercholesterolemia and improving diabetes. 3078 Aug 36