title: The Postprandial Effects of a Moderately High-Fat Meal on Lipid Profiles and Vascular Inflammation in Alzheimer's Disease Patients: A Pilot Study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disease of aging with unknown causative factors. Accumulating evidence suggests that inflammation and neurovascular dysfunction play important roles in AD. The postprandial period following a moderately high-fat meal is associated with vascular inflammation in young, healthy individuals; however, this relationship has not been investigated in Alzheimer's patients despite their exaggerated inflammatory state.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients with AD and age-matched control subjects were recruited through the UC Davis Alzheimer's Disease Center. All subjects consumed a moderately high-fat breakfast meal. Fasting and postprandial blood samples were collected for lipid, lipoprotein, and oxylipin analyses, as well as assays for cytokine levels and monocyte activation.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The plasma lipid analyses revealed similar levels of triglycerides and esterified oxylipins between groups, but there was an interaction between postprandial non-esterified fatty acid (NEFA) levels and body mass index in the AD group compared to the control subjects. The AD group also had increased behenic acid and decreased linoleic and oleic acids in the postprandial period; however, these were not significantly different. Inflammatory assays revealed elevated fasting levels of interleukin (IL)-10 and IL-12 p70, but no change in monocyte activation in the AD group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The postprandial period following a moderately high-fat meal is not associated with an exaggerated inflammatory state in Alzheimer's patients, and basal esterified oxylipin profiles do not indicate elevated oxidative stress. However, the baseline inflammatory state during fasting in AD patients includes elevated levels of plasma IL-10 and IL-12 p70, which may indicate a balance between immune responses mediated by these interleukins.
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, University of California at Davis, Davis, CA 95616, California, USA.
authors.forename: Robin
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Altman
authors.affiliation: Department of Nutrition, University of California at Davis, Davis, CA 95616, California, USA.
authors.forename: Alison H
authors.initials: AH
authors.lastname: Keenan
authors.affiliation: USDA ARS Western Human Nutrition Research Center, University of California at Davis, Davis, CA 95616, California, USA.
authors.forename: John W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Newman
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, University of California at Davis, Davis, CA 95616, California, USA.
authors.forename: John C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Rutledge
keywords: Alzheimer’s disease; Cytokine; Lipid; Monocyte activation; Oxylipin; Postprandial; Vascular inflammation