title: [The effects of some nonpolar aminoacids--valine, leucine--administration on the arterial wall already exposed to a hypercholesterolemic diet].
abstract: Hypercholesterolemia plays an important role in atherosclerosis. The dietary supplementation of proteins or specific aminoacids seems to enhance the immune status in animals and humans with a complex pathological status, decreasing morbidity and mortality.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  In the present study we intended to analyse the effects of some nonpolar aminoacids--valine and leucine on cholesterol blood levels in a high-fat-diet in rats. In the same time we evaluated the vascular walls impact produced by the hypercholesterolemic diet.
  
  
  METHODS
  Our experiment was realised on 32 male Wistar rats, which were fed with cholesterol, valine and leucine for 8 weeks. At the end of experiment we analysed serum levels of cholesterol and also histopathological features of hypercholesterolemia on the arterial wall.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results of our study indicate that valine and leucine decrease the serum cholesterol and therefore the hypercholesterolemic-induced prooxidant status of the body being useful in reducing atherosclerosis.
authors.affiliation: Universitatea de Medicină şi Farmacie Gr.T. Popa Iaşi Facultatea de Medicină, Disciplina de Histologie.
authors.forename: Elena
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Cojocaru
authors.forename: Carmen Lăcrămioara
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Zamfir
authors.forename: Cătălina Elena
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Lupuşoru
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Cotuţiu
mesh_terms: D000597:Amino Acids, Branched-Chain / Q000494:pharmacology; D000818:Animals; D001158:Arteries / Q000187:drug effects; D050197:Atherosclerosis / Q000178:diet therapy / Q000209:etiology; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood*; D002791:Cholesterol, Dietary; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000187:drug effects*; D006937:Hypercholesterolemia / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications / Q000178:diet therapy* / Q000209:etiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D007930:Leucine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008297:Male; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000187:drug effects; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D014633:Valine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D000597:Amino Acids, Branched-Chain; D015415:Biomarkers; D002791:Cholesterol, Dietary; D002784:Cholesterol; D007930:Leucine; D014633:Valine