Absence of an atheroprotective effect of the garlic powder printanor in APOE*3-Leiden transgenic mice.
Numerous animal studies have reported that garlic can protect against atherosclerosis. However, a comparable number of studies do not support this observation. This contradiction may result from differences in study design, use of different animal models, and use of different garlic formulations and preparations. Here, we investigated the effect of the chemically well-characterized and production-controlled garlic powder printanor on atherosclerosis in the APOE*3-Leiden transgenic mouse, a mouse model well suited for evaluating anti-atherosclerotic properties of drugs and food components under human-like conditions. APOE*3-Leiden mice were fed a Western diet supplemented with either 5 or 50 g kg(-1) printanor. As a reference, the commercially available fermented garlic kyolic was included (1.6 g kg(-1) diet). Treatment with printanor demonstrated reduced body weight, coinciding with increased feces production and fecal fatty acids excretion. Printanor and kyolic treatment did not affect plasma lipids, markers of inflammation (serum amyloid A, serum-soluble intercellular adhesion molecule-1, and blood-leukocytes tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNFalpha) production) and vascular activation (plasma von Willebrand factor (vWF)). As analyzed after 28 weeks of treatment, printanor and kyolic did not affect atherosclerotic lesion type, area or composition. Under conditions relevant to the human situation, the well-characterized and production-controlled garlic powder printanor does not display hypolipidemic, anti-inflammatory or anti-atherosclerotic properties.
Espirito Santo
Sonia M S
SM
TNO Prevention and Health, Gaubius Laboratory, P.O. Box 2215, 2301 CE Leiden, The Netherlands.
van Vlijmen
Bart J M
BJ
van Duyvenvoorde
Wim
W
Offerman
Erik H
EH
Havekes
Louis M
LM
Arnault
Ingrid
I
Auger
Jacques
J
Princen
Hans M G
HM
D000818:Animals; D053318:Apolipoprotein E3; D001057:Apolipoproteins E / Q000235:genetics*; D001161:Arteriosclerosis / Q000517:prevention & control*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005260:Female; D005737:Garlic; D018799:Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1 / Q000097:blood; D008055:Lipids / Q000097:blood; D051379:Mice; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D000685:Serum Amyloid A Protein / Q000032:analysis; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000032:analysis; D014841:von Willebrand Factor / Q000032:analysis
D053318:Apolipoprotein E3; D001057:Apolipoproteins E; D008055:Lipids; D000685:Serum Amyloid A Protein; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; C052720:apolipoprotein E3 (Leidein); D014841:von Willebrand Factor; D018799:Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1