Averting Inflammation and Vampires

Allium sativum (garlic) and Allium cepa (onion) are evaluated as anti-inflammatories in the Journal of Nutrition and Metabolism's article, "Garlic and Onion Attenuates Vascular Inflammation and Oxidative Stress in Fructose-Fed Rats" (1).  With firm rationalization that the addition of simple sugars, particularly fructose, as main dietary changes, coincide with the incidence and prevalence of METS and its sequelae (diabetes, obesity), and most importantly, endothelial dysfunction as it relates to inflammation, fructose-fed rats (FFR) are treated with known and proposed anti-inflammatories to determine treatment outcomes.  Endothelial dysfunction results from reduced eNOS activity, increased oxidative stress (ROS), and increased synthesis of vascular cell adhesion molecule (VCAM-1, a monocyte binder) and leads to cardiovascular changes from vascular remodeling.

Young, 30-day old Wistar rats were fed their standard diets for 14 weeks under controlled conditions. During the first six weeks, 80% of the rats were fed a 10% fructose/water solution, with the remaining rats used as control.  After six weeks, FFR were subdivided into four groups which were either untreated or treated with tempol (a potent anti-inflammatory), garlic, or onion.  At the end of the 14-week period, the rats were evaluated for TBARS (markers for lipid peroxidation/oxidative stress), NAD(P)H (another ROS  marker), eNOS activity, and VCAM-1 protein expression. In order to identify desired outcomes, ideally, TBAR activity, NAD(P)H activity and VCAM-1 protein expression would be reduced, with eNOS activity increased.

Results:  TBARS were comparable to control in all anti-inflammatory-treated categories, with underperformance by onion.  Aortic NAD(P)H oxidase activity, while nearing double that of control, was significantly reduced as compared to FFR when treated with tempol or garlic, whereas onion again underperformed.  eNOS activity was comparable for control and tempol-treated FFR, with garlic slightly underperforming in comparison to onion.  VCAM-1 protein expression levels, as measured by Western blot, were high in all treated FFR and moreso in untreated FFR.

Issues to consider:  Anti-inflammatory treatments aside, the clear winners were the control rats.  Once the rats were fructose-supplemented, their food intake was reduced and their water intake increased.  This resulted in a higher energy intake and represented an average 6.5% increase in body weight over the 14-week period.  With garlic and onion alternating in efficacy as anti-inflammatories amongst the categories, the combination of the two would be worth exploring.  Unfortunately,  implementing a comparable study in humans would amount to multiple heads of garlic and onion having to be consumed, sure to keep the vampires (and everyone else) away.

1.  Hindawi Publishing Corporation, Journal of Nutrition and Metabolism, Volume 2011, Article ID 475216, 7 pages, doi:  10.1155/2011/475216.