title: Anti-oxidant and anti-atherogenic properties of liposomal glutathione: studies in vitro, and in the atherosclerotic apolipoprotein E-deficient mice.
abstract: Liposomal glutathione, but not the control liposomes (with no glutathione), dose-dependently inhibited copper ion-induced low density lipoprotein (LDL) and HDL oxidation. As peroxidase activity was found to be present in both LDL and HDL, it has contributed to the anti-oxidative effects of liposomal glutathione. In-vitro, no significant effect of liposomal glutathione on J774 A.1 macrophage cell-line oxidative stress and on cellular cholesterol metabolism was observed. In contrast, in the atherosclerotic apolipoprotein E-deficient (E(0)) mice, consumption of liposomal glutathione (12.5 or 50mg/kg/day, for 2 months), but not control liposomes, resulted in a significant reduction in the serum susceptibility to AAPH-induced oxidation by 33%. Liposomal glutathione (50mg/kg/day) consumption also resulted in an increment (by 12%) in the mice peritoneal macrophages (MPM) glutathione content, paralleled by a significant reduction in total cellular lipid peroxides content (by 40%), compared to placebo-treated mice MPM. MPM paraoxonase 2 activity was significantly increased by 27% and by 121%, after liposomal glutathione consumption (12.5 or 50mg/kg/day, respectively). Analyses of cellular cholesterol fluxes revealed that, liposomal glutathione (12.5mg/kg/day) consumption, decreased the extent of oxidized-LDL (Ox-LDL) uptake by 17% and the cellular cholesterol biosynthesis rate, by 34%, and stimulated HDL-induced macrophage cholesterol efflux, by 19%. Most important, a significant reduction in macrophage cholesterol mass (by 24%), and in the atherosclerotic lesion area (by 30%) was noted. We thus conclude that liposomal glutathione possesses anti-oxidative and anti-atherogenic properties towards lipoproteins and macrophages, leading to attenuation of atherosclerosis development.
authors.affiliation: The Lipid Research Laboratory, Technion Faculty of Medicine, The Rappaport Family Institute for Research in the Medical Sciences, Rambam Medical Center, Haifa 31096, Israel.
authors.forename: Mira
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rosenblat
authors.forename: Nina
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Volkova
authors.forename: Raymond
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Coleman
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Aviram
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001057:Apolipoproteins E / Q000235:genetics*; D050197:Atherosclerosis / Q000517:prevention & control*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D008076:Cholesterol, HDL / Q000097:blood / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005978:Glutathione / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D015227:Lipid Peroxidation / Q000187:drug effects; D008054:Lipid Peroxides / Q000378:metabolism; D008081:Liposomes; D017737:Macrophages, Peritoneal / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D051379:Mice; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000187:drug effects*; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D001057:Apolipoproteins E; D008076:Cholesterol, HDL; D008054:Lipid Peroxides; D008081:Liposomes; D014280:Triglycerides; D005978:Glutathione