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Treating heart attacks with a medium chain fatty acid
https://medicalxpress.com ^ | March 8, 2022 | Provided by University of Michigan

Posted on 03/08/2022 12:18:20 PM PST by Red Badger

A medium-chain fatty acid found in energy drinks might one day help protect against heart attack injuries.

"Heart attacks are still a leading cause of death worldwide, that often come with devastating complications," said Zhong Wang, Ph.D., an associate professor of cardiac surgery at the University of Michigan Frankel Cardiovascular Center, who is the senior author on a recent preclinical study in eLife. "Better options are needed to reduce injury to the heart after a heart attack, and even improve heart function. In this publication, we target the interplay between energy metabolism and epigenetics mediated by the medium chain fatty acid 8C."

Wang and colleagues were able to protect against heart attack injury in rat models with octanoic acid, an eight carbon (8C) medium chain fatty acid, as well as a few other metabolites. Those fatty acids produced acetyl-CoA, a building block for energy metabolism, which a stressed heart desperately needs.

The idea is that a physician would administer this therapy to a person once they arrive at the hospital after having a heart attack, to reduce further injury and improve heart function during recovery, he says.

"Understanding the crosstalk between energy metabolism and epigenetics may not only provide an effective target for myocardial infarction, but also have broad implications in other ischemic injury-caused organ damage beyond cardiac diseases," said Ienglam Lei, Ph.D., from the Frankel CVC's Department of Cardiac Surgery and the University of Macau in China, who conducted the study's key experiments.

Wang says the next step would be to test this molecule in large animal models, followed by clinical trials. The research team has been studying the epigenetic regulation of heart attack for more than 10 years.

More information: Ienglam Lei et al, Acetyl-CoA production by specific metabolites promotes cardiac repair after myocardial infarction via histone acetylation, eLife (2021). DOI: 10.7554/eLife.60311

Journal information: eLife


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Food; Health/Medicine; Society
KEYWORDS: capric; caprylic; keto

1 posted on 03/08/2022 12:18:21 PM PST by Red Badger
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To: Red Badger

“the Frankel CVC’s Department of Cardiac Surgery and the University of Macau in China, who conducted the study’s key experiments”

Do I have to say it?


2 posted on 03/08/2022 12:21:16 PM PST by V_TWIN (America...so great even the people that hate it refuse to leave)
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To: V_TWIN

IV Butter?


3 posted on 03/08/2022 12:22:38 PM PST by 43north (Its hard to stop a man when he knows he's right and he keeps on comin'.)
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To: Red Badger

Where does octanoic acid come from?
Octanoic acid is found naturally in the milk of various mammals and is a minor component of coconut oil and palm kernel oil.


4 posted on 03/08/2022 12:26:46 PM PST by DannyTN (1)
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To: DannyTN

Gee, I thought they milked octopuses!.............


5 posted on 03/08/2022 12:28:30 PM PST by Red Badger (Homeless veterans camp in the streets while illegal aliens are put up in hotels.....................)
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To: Red Badger
Abstract
Octanoic acid is a medium-chained saturated fatty acid found abundantly in the ketogenic dietary supplements containing medium chained triglycerides (MCT) along with decanoic acid. The MCT ketogenic diet is commonly consumed for weight loss but has also showcased neuroprotective potential against neurodegenerative disorders. However, recent clinical findings have reported a critical disadvantage with the long-term consumption of ketogenic diet i.e. bone loss. The following study was employed to investigate whether the two major components of MCT diet also possess bone loss potential as observed with classical ketogenic diet. Swiss albino mice aged between 10 and 12 weeks, were divided into 3 treatment groups that were administered with oral suspensions of octanoic acid, decanoic acid and a combination of both for 4 weeks. Bone specific markers, microarchitectural parameters, using micro computed tomography, and biomechanical strength were analyzed. Remarkably deleterious alterations in the trabecular bone microarchitecture, and on bone markers were observed in the octanoic acid treated groups. Our results suggest significant negative effects on bone health by octanoic acid. These findings require further investigation and validation in order to provide significant clinically relevant data to possibly modify dietary composition of the MCT ketogenic diet.

Octanoic acid a major component of widely consumed medium-chain triglyceride ketogenic diet is detrimental to bone

6 posted on 03/08/2022 12:29:55 PM PST by DannyTN (1)
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To: Red Badger

I was sitting here wondering what mammals in the neighborhood I could milk.

But then I realized cows are mammals.


7 posted on 03/08/2022 12:31:56 PM PST by DannyTN (1)
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To: Red Badger
A medium-chain fatty acid found in energy drinks might one day help protect against heart attack injuries.

So are they saying Red Bull really does give you wings?

8 posted on 03/08/2022 12:50:07 PM PST by BipolarBob (Reading is one way for escape. Running for your life is another.)
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To: DannyTN

Did the mice get calcium, vitamins D3 and K2, and perform weight-besring exercises?


9 posted on 03/08/2022 1:10:07 PM PST by grey_whiskers (The opinions are solely those of the author and are subject to change with out notice.)
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To: grey_whiskers

I don’t know, but if I was a Swiss albino, I’d be worried.


10 posted on 03/08/2022 1:16:47 PM PST by DannyTN
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To: BipolarBob
Red Bull gives you wings until it doesn't.


11 posted on 03/08/2022 1:50:10 PM PST by DannyTN
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To: Red Badger
This study actually did not use the normal fatty acid described in this writeup. It used “sodium octanoate.”

The partial compound, “octanoic acid,” is also known more commonly as “Caprylic acid,” which is a large percentage of better MCT Oils and can be bought by itself.

I haven't been able to find how to create the molecule used, but I would guess salt or sodium bicarbonate might be helpful.

12 posted on 03/08/2022 3:00:14 PM PST by ConservativeMind (Trump: Befuddling Democrats, Republicans, and the Media for the benefit of the US and all mankind.)
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To: DannyTN
That was a good read, but the Discussion portion unfortunately brings in a reasonable amount of doubt, for those doing a low carb or keto diet.

It says the mice were fed a high carb diet with the high fat. It also said the Caprylic acid, when administered with Capric acid, somehow caused little bone concern.

It also says evidence from the major ketone body in ketosis, beta-hydroxybutyrate (BHB), actually helps build bone.

Strange stuff, but when looking at the cross sectional bone pictures, it's unsettling.

13 posted on 03/08/2022 3:38:41 PM PST by ConservativeMind (Trump: Befuddling Democrats, Republicans, and the Media for the benefit of the US and all mankind.)
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