Cola Beverages Accelerate Growth of the Atherosclerotic Plaque in ApoE-/- Mice

SERAFINI E.; OTERO-LOSADA, M.; CAO G.; RODRIGUEZ-GRANILLO G; AGUILERA J.; MULLER A; OTTAVIANO G; AZZATO F.; MILEI J.

Revista Argentina de Cardiologia

Sociedad Argentina de Cardiología

Lugar: Buenos Aires; Año: 2014 vol. 82 p. 124 - 128

0034-7000

Objectives Unhealthy eating habits during childhood and youth have been suggested as predisposing factors for atherosclerotic complications later in life. The growing consumption of cola beverages in recent decades has been associated with the development of obesity and increased incidence of atherosclerosis and cardiovascular disease. We also know that there is a correspondence between the consumption of these beverages and the different stages of life, being higher in children, adolescents and young adults. Objective This study evaluates the effect of cola beverage consumption on atherosclerosis. Methods ApoE-/- mice (8 weeks old) were randomized into 3 groups according to free access to water (W), sucrose sweetened carbonated cola beverage (C) or aspartame-acesulfame K sweetened carbonated ?light? cola beverage (L). At 8 weeks, cola beverages were switched to water. Mice were sequentially euthanized: before treatment (8 week old mice) and after treatment discontinuation (16, 20, 24, and 30 week old mice). The ascending aorta and the liver were removed. The ratio between the aortic plaque area and the media layer thickness (plaque/media-ratio) was calculated. Hepatic inflammation was assessed according to the NASH scale. Results Plaque/media-ratio varied according to the type of beverage treatment (F2,54 = 3.433, p < 0.04) and age (F4,54 = 5.009, p < 0.03), and was higher in the C and L groups (p < 0.05 at 16 and 20 weeks, p < 0.01 at 24 and 30 weeks). Hepatic parenchymal inflammation (F2,9 = 13.29, p < 0.002) and portal inflammation (F2,9 = 6.30, p < 0.02) increased fivefold and twofold in contrast to steatosis and hepatocellular damage which remained unchanged throughout the study. The W group (natural evolution of atherosclerosis) evidenced acceleration of plaque growth in parallel with a rapid increase in hepatic inflammation around week 20 of age. Conclusions Cola beverage consumption in 8-16 week old ApoE-/- mice accelerated atherosclerosis progression Data suggest that, in this murine model, sustained cola co