Postprandial endothelial impairment and reduced glutathione levels in postmenopausal women.
OBJECTIVE
Postmenopausal age is characterized by a higher risk for coronary heart disease (CHD) and postprandial lipemia is strictly related with the evidence of CHD. The aim of the study was to clarify the vascular effects of postprandial state in postmenopausal women.


METHODS
Ten postmenopausal women (mean age 57 +/- 8 years) without vascular risk factors and history of cardiovascular disease underwent an oral fat load test. Endothelial function, expressed as brachial flow-mediated vasodilation (FMV), lipid parameters and reduced glutathione (GSH) were evaluated at baseline and 2, 4 and 6 h after the load.


RESULTS
FMV showed a significant decrease at the 2nd hour (2.3 +/- 2.6%, vs. baseline 7.7 +/- 2.8%, p < 0.05) and overlapping to the basal value after 4 h. Triglycerides increased postprandially at the 2nd and 4th hour (1.6 +/- 0.6 micromol/l, 1.8 +/- 0.5 micromol/l vs. baseline 0.9 +/- 0.4 micromol/l, p < 0.05), decreasing thereafter. GSH decreased at the 2nd hour of the postprandial phase (5.1 +/- 1.9 micromol/l vs. baseline 8.4 +/- 1.9 micromol/l, p < 0.05), normalizing successively. At the univariate analysis a negative correlation was found between FMV and triglyceride changes (r = -0.37, p < 0.05) and a positive one between FMV and GSH modifications (r = 0.40, p < 0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
These data demonstrated that postprandial lipemia transiently impairs endothelial reactivity by an oxidative burden, partly dependent to triglyceride increase.
Siepi
D
D
Internal Medicine, Angiology and Atherosclerosis, University of Perugia, Via Brunacci Brunamonti 2, I-06122 Perugia, Italy. dsiepi@unipg.it
Marchesi
S
S
Lupattelli
G
G
Paltriccia
R
R
Vaudo
G
G
Pirro
M
M
Roscini
A R
AR
Scarponi
A M
AM
Sinzinger
H
H
Mannarino
E
E
D001916:Brachial Artery / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000209:etiology; D004041:Dietary Fats / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D005978:Glutathione / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D008055:Lipids / Q000097:blood*; D008875:Middle Aged; D017698:Postmenopause / Q000378:metabolism; D019518:Postprandial Period / Q000502:physiology*; D012307:Risk Factors; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000097:blood; D014463:Ultrasonography; D014664:Vasodilation / Q000187:drug effects
D004041:Dietary Fats; D008055:Lipids; D014280:Triglycerides; D005978:Glutathione