Cranberry flavonoids and cardiovascular inflammation

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DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Our long term objective is to develop a research program examining effects of functional foods and nutritional supplements on cardiovascular inflammation, including vascular responses to bacterial lipopolysaccharides (LPS), hypercholesterolemia and atherosclerosis. Many components of the vascular inflammatory response to LPS or hypercholesterolemia are similar. Cranberries are a dietary source of flavonoids which may decrease inflammation and atherosclerosis. Specifically, the anti-inflammatory effects of flavonoids may decrease LPS-induced vascular inflammation, hypercholesterolemia, or both. We will determine the effects of feeding CJP on inflammation in vivo, and evaluate inflammatory cells and biochemicals important to the anti-inflammatory effects of cranberry flavonoids using a unique and highly relevant animal model, the familial hypercholesterolemic (FH) pig. Specific aim 1: Determine the effect of feeding CJP to normal pigs on cardiopulmonary inflammatory response mechanisms in vivo. Specific aim 2: Determine the effect of feeding CJP to FH pigs on cardiopulmonary inflammatory response mechanisms in vivo. Specific aim 3: Determine the effect of feeding CJP (and IV LPS) on vascular function ex vivo in FH and normal pigs. Results will provide new information regarding functional anti-inflammatory effects of a whole food nutritional supplement, CJP. These results will improve understanding of interactions of cranberry flavonoids with inflammatory mechanisms in atherosclerosis in a relevant animal model, the FH pig. Results are expected to lead to further investigation of cellular mechanisms and future clinical investigation and application of this whole food supplement to reduce cardiovascular inflammation in human beings.