1. Saponins from Allii Macrostemonis Bulbus attenuate atherosclerosis by inhibiting macrophage foam cell formation and inflammation
- Author
-
Shutian Zhao, Huijun Guo, Liang Qiu, Chao Zhong, Jing Xue, Manman Qin, Yifeng Zhang, Chuanming Xu, Yanfei Xie, and Jun Yu
- Subjects
Saponins from Allii Macrostemonis Bulbus ,Atherosclerosis ,Macrophage ,Inflammation ,Medicine ,Science - Abstract
Abstract Allii Macrostemonis Bulbus (AMB) is a traditional Chinese medicine with medicinal and food homology. AMB has various biological activities, including anti-coagulation, lipid-lowering, anti-tumor, and antioxidant effects. Saponins from Allium macrostemonis Bulbus (SAMB), the predominant beneficial compounds, also exhibited lipid-lowering and anti-inflammatory properties. However, the effect of SAMB on atherosclerosis and the underlying mechanisms are still unclear. This study aimed to elucidate the pharmacological impact of SAMB on atherosclerosis. In apolipoprotein E deficiency (ApoE−/−) mice with high-fat diet feeding, oral SAMB administration significantly attenuated inflammation and atherosclerosis plaque formation. The in vitro experiments demonstrated that SAMB effectively suppressed oxidized-LDL-induced foam cell formation by down-regulating CD36 expression, thereby inhibiting lipid endocytosis in bone marrow-derived macrophages. Additionally, SAMB effectively blocked LPS-induced inflammatory response in bone marrow-derived macrophages potentially through modulating the NF-κB/NLRP3 pathway. In conclusion, SAMB exhibits a potential anti-atherosclerotic effect by inhibiting macrophage foam cell formation and inflammation. These findings provide novel insights into potential preventive and therapeutic strategies for the clinical management of atherosclerosis.
- Published
- 2024
- Full Text
- View/download PDF