title: Postprandial endothelial impairment and reduced glutathione levels in postmenopausal women.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Internal Medicine, Angiology and Atherosclerosis, University of Perugia, Via Brunacci Brunamonti 2, I-06122 Perugia, Italy. dsiepi@unipg.it
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Siepi
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Marchesi
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Lupattelli
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Paltriccia
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Vaudo
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pirro
authors.forename: A R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Roscini
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Scarponi
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Sinzinger
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Mannarino
mesh_terms: 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
chemical_list: D004041:Dietary Fats; D008055:Lipids; D014280:Triglycerides; D005978:Glutathione