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Dietary flavanols - an integrated study of their effects on platelet function

Reference	BBS/E/F/00042235
Principal Investigator / Supervisor	Dr Paul Kroon
Co-Investigators / Co-Supervisors
Institution	Quadram Institute Bioscience
Department	Quadram Institute Bioscience Department
Funding type	Research
Value (£)	162,474
Status	Completed
Type	Institute Project
Start date	01/04/2005
End date	01/04/2006
Duration	12 months

Abstract

Flavan-3-ols are common dietary flavonoids that have emerged as key target phytochemicals for protecting against cardiovascular disease due to consistent positive outcomes in human trials concerned with their effects on markers of CVD risk. Platelets, which play a critical role in the processes underlying thrombotic diseases such as myocardial infarction and stroke, appear to be key targets. Other key targets are blood mononuclear cells and the vascular endothelium that play fundamental roles in atherosclerosis and thrombosis. However, the underlying mechanisms by which flavanol-rich diets induce changes in these cells are not understood, in particular (i) the identities of the active metabolites in blood are not known, and (ii) the molecular mechanisms by which these metabolites alter cell / platelet function has not been established. In this project, a systems biology approach will be used to investigate the responses of platelets to dietary flavanols. Proteomics will be combined with a number of functional platelet activity assays to identify key changes in platelet proteins that are related to the observed functional differences to develop a predictive model that will be used to test hypotheses concerned with the anti-haemostatic effects of dietary flavanols. Blood samples obtained from patients before and after surgery will be used to develop the model that will be verified with blind samples. The model will be used to assess the changes in platelets obtained from volunteers consuming diets rich or poor in flavanols and to develop hypotheses concerned with mechanisms of action. In parallel, blood samples from the flavanol intervention will be profiled for flavanol metabolites and colonic catabolites to facilitate (1) identification of the most important components using discriminatory analysis and (2) direct assessment of metabolite efficacy against platelets / cells in vitro.

Summary

unavailable

Committee	Closed Committee - Agri-food (AF)
Research Topics	X – not assigned to a current Research Topic
Research Priority	X – Research Priority information not available
Research Initiative	X - not in an Initiative
Funding Scheme	X – not Funded via a specific Funding Scheme

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