| Objective: Hypertriglyceridemia is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease. The
potential favorable effects of artichoke leaf extract (ALE) on anthropometric and metabolic indices may
affect by fat mass and obesity associated (FTO)-rs9939609 polymorphism. This study was designed to
evaluate the effects of ALE supplementation on cardiometabolic risk factors in hypertriglyceridemic
patients regarding the interaction of rs9939609-FTO polymorphism with intervention outcomes.
Methods: In this double-blind placebo-controlled randomized clinical trial, 52 patients with hyper-
triglyceridemia randomly allocated to receive ALE (1800 mg/day as four tablets) or matching placebo
(consisting of corn starch, lactose, and avicel) for 12 weeks. The measurement of anthropometric indices,
fasting blood sugar (FBS), and lipid profile was performed before and after the intervention. The FTOrs9939609
polymorphism was genotyped by polymerase chain reaction-restriction length polymor-
phism (PCR-RFLP). The interaction was tested using two-way ANOVA.
Results: Forty-eight patients completed the trial (intervention, n = 24, placebo = 24). ALE and placebo
groups were similar in the baseline characteristics. ALE supplementation did not change anthropometric
indices and metabolic parameters. However, there was a significant interaction between FTO-rs9939609
polymorphism and TC, LDL-C, and TG level response to ALE supplementation. Moreover, significant
changes in TG level were observed in A allele carriers compared to subjects with TT genotype.
Conclusion: No significant effect of ALE supplementation was shown on anthropometric and biochemical
indices in Iranian hypertriglyceridemic patients. However, rs9939609 variant of FTO gene seems to affect
lipid profile response to ALE supplementation. Further clinical trials with larger sample size are
suggested to clarify the possible interaction between rs9939609 variant or other variants of FTO gene and
ALE supplementation in hypertriglyceridemia. |