14 DAY TRIAL // Scientists in the United States say that they were recently able to engineer a new type of tomato, which has beneficial effects on particular types of lipids in the small intestine. These molecules play an important role in generating cholesterol and producing inflammation, both of which are risk factors for the human cardiovascular system.
The lipids in question exist in the small intestine only in very small amounts, yet they appear to play a critical role in producing the high levels of cholesterol that lead to heart attacks and strokes.
The University of California in Los Angeles (UCLA) research group proposes that the negative influences of these lipids can be fought off with the aid of a new, genetically engineered tomato, which has been designed to mimic the actions of good cholesterol (HDL).
The team tested the super-vegetable on a number of lab mice, and found that the risks of stroke and heart disease were significantly reduced. Details of the investigation appear in the December issue of the medical Journal of Lipid Research.
The paper focuses on intestine lipids called unsaturated lysophosphatidic acids (LPAs), which were determined to play a critical role in the development of atherosclerosis, a condition that damages and thickens blood vessels, eventually shutting them down completely.
A close inspection of the functions that LPA completed in the small intestine revealed that they played a much more significant role in underlying atherosclerosis, stroke and heart attack risks than researchers first thought.
“Recognizing the importance of these minor lipids in the small intestine may lead to ways to reduce their levels and prevent abnormalities in blood levels of 'good' and 'bad' cholesterol that contribute to heart attack and stroke,” says UCLA scientist Dr. Alan Fogelman.
The expert holds an appointment as the director of the UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine atherosclerosis research unit, and is also the executive chair of the university's Department of Medicine.
In future studies, the team plans to search for the small intestine genes that LPAs target. Once their signaling pathways are identified, researchers will be able to develop drugs and therapies to target these avenues of molecular communication directly.