title: Knowledge of the biological actions of extra virgin olive oil gained from mice lacking apolipoprotein E.
abstract: The low incidence of cardiovascular disease in countries bordering the Mediterranean basin, where olive oil is the main source of dietary fat, has stimulated interest in the chemical composition of olive oil and in the production of other oils enriched with its minor components. This review summarizes what has been learned about the effects of different olive oil preparations on the development of atherosclerosis and about the prognostic value of associated plasma variables in the disease from experiments on genetically modified mice that spontaneously develop atherosclerosis. The limitations of this animal model associated with its morphological and physiological differences with humans are minimized by the similarity of the two genomes and by the potential for increased understanding attainable, given that the dietary interventions reported here would have taken 400 years to achieve in humans. As observed in traditional Mediterranean populations, it has been confirmed that extra virgin olive oil is beneficial when consumed judiciously and in a diet that is low in cholesterol due to the relative scarcity of animal products. Furthermore, the use of genomic techniques has led to the identification of new markers of response to olive oil. In conclusion, multidisciplinary research into extra virgin olive oil is expanding our knowledge of the substance's biological properties.
authors.affiliation: CIBER de Fisiopatología de la Obesidad y Nutrición, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Natalia
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Guillén
authors.forename: Sergio
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Acín
authors.forename: María A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Navarro
authors.forename: Joaquín Carlos
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Surra
authors.forename: Carmen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Arnal
authors.forename: José Manuel
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Lou-Bonafonte
authors.forename: Pedro
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Muniesa
authors.forename: María Victoria
authors.initials: MV
authors.lastname: Martínez-Gracia
authors.forename: Jesús
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Osada
mesh_terms: D000273:Adipose Tissue / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D001057:Apolipoproteins E / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology*; D050197:Atherosclerosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D038441:Diet, Mediterranean; D004041:Dietary Fats; D006801:Humans; D008099:Liver / Q000378:metabolism; D051379:Mice; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D000069463:Olive Oil; D010938:Plant Oils / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D001057:Apolipoproteins E; D004041:Dietary Fats; D000069463:Olive Oil; D010938:Plant Oils