Despite the rapid progress in diagnosis and treatment of cardiovascular disease (CVD), this disease remains a major cause of mortality and morbidity. Recent progress over the last two decades in the field of molecular genetics, especially with new tools such as genome-wide association studies, has helped to identify new genes and their variants, which can be used for calculations of risk, prediction of treatment efficacy, or detection of subjects prone to drug side effects. Although the use of genetic risk scores further improves CVD prediction, the significance is not unambiguous, and some subjects at risk remain undetected. Further research directions should focus on the "second level" of genetic information, namely, regulatory molecules (miRNAs) and epigenetic changes, predominantly DNA methylation and gene-environment interactions.

• Keywords
• cardiovascular disease, epigenetic, gene, gene score, interaction, polymorphism,
• MeSH
• Genome-Wide Association Study methods   MeSH
• Genetic Predisposition to Disease MeSH
• Genetic Testing methods   MeSH
• Precision Medicine methods   MeSH
• Cardiovascular Diseases diagnosis   genetics   therapy   MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Nutrigenomics methods   MeSH
• Animals MeSH
• Check Tag
• Humans MeSH
• Animals MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH
• Review MeSH

Increased plasma cholesterol levels are listed between the major atherosclerosis risk factors. The final plasma cholesterol levels result from the interplay between the genetic and environmental (diet, physical activity) factors. Little is known, how dietary factor influence epigenetics. We have analyzed, if an over-generation feeding of rat with cholesterol influences total liver-DNA methylation, and if total liver-DNA methylation differ between the different rat strains (Prague hereditary hypercholesterolemic rats, Prague hereditary hypertriglyceridemic rats and Wistar Kyoto rats). The animals were feed with high fat (additional 5 % over normal capacity) high cholesterol (2 %) diet for 14 days. DNA methylation in the liver tissue in different generations was analyzed using the liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry. We have not observed any significant changes in total liver-DNA methylation over the 9 generations of animals feed by fat/cholesterol enriched diet. Additionally, there were no differences in DNA methylation between different rat strains. In animal model, the dietary changes (hypercholesterolemic diet) not significantly influence the total DNA methylation status within the liver.

• MeSH
• Cholesterol, Dietary administration & dosage   adverse effects   MeSH
• Diet, High-Fat * adverse effects   MeSH
• Hypercholesterolemia chemically induced   genetics   metabolism   MeSH
• Liver metabolism   MeSH
• Rats MeSH
• DNA Methylation genetics   MeSH
• Rats, Wistar MeSH
• Animals MeSH
• Check Tag
• Rats MeSH
• Male MeSH
• Female MeSH
• Animals MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH
• Names of Substances
• Cholesterol, Dietary MeSH