title: Chinese red yeast rice attenuates the development of angiotensin II-induced abdominal aortic aneurysm and atherosclerosis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) is a chronic vascular disease characterized by medial degradation and inflammation. No medical approaches have been validated for treating AAA, and therapeutic options are limited to regular surveillance leading to surgical intervention. This study aimed to investigate whether administration of Chinese red yeast rice (Monascus purpureus; RYR) suppressed angiotensin II (AngII)-induced AAA and atherosclerosis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Apolipoprotein E-deficient male mice fed a normal diet were administered either RYR extract (200 mg/kg/day) or vehicle by gavage for 1 week before initiating AngII infusion (1000 ng/kg/min) via subcutaneous osmotic pumps for 28 days. Red yeast rice extract administration significantly suppressed AngII-induced expansion of suprarenal diameter and area (P<.05). Furthermore, RYR extract significantly reduced atherosclerotic lesion areas in both the intima of aortic arches and cross sections of aortic roots (P<.05). These effects were associated with reductions of serum total cholesterol, intercellular adhesion molecule 1, vascular cell adhesion molecule 1, matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) 2 and increases of serum macrophage migration inhibitory factor, but no changes in serum interleukin (IL) 1α, IL-6, monocyte chemoattractant protein 1, MMP-9 and expression of MMP-2 and MMP-9 in aortic walls.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study demonstrated that RYR extract administration suppressed AngII-induced AAA and atherosclerosis associated with regulating inflammation responses independent of lipid-lowering effects. Red yeast rice may have preventive potential for patients with AAA.
authors.affiliation: State Laboratory of Traditional Chinese Medicine in Cardiovascular Pharmacology, Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University College of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, PR China.
authors.forename: Xiaojie
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Xie
authors.forename: Yifan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Songzhao
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Guidi
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Yinchuan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Honghao
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Bi
authors.forename: Alan
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Daugherty
authors.forename: Jian-an
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D000804:Angiotensin II / Q000633:toxicity*; D000818:Animals; D001011:Aorta / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D017544:Aortic Aneurysm, Abdominal / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D001057:Apolipoproteins E / Q000172:deficiency / Q000378:metabolism; D050197:Atherosclerosis / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D001688:Biological Products / Q000494:pharmacology*; D018932:Chemokine CCL2 / Q000097:blood; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood; D007249:Inflammation / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology; D053582:Interleukin-1alpha / Q000097:blood; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D020778:Matrix Metalloproteinase 2 / Q000378:metabolism; D020780:Matrix Metalloproteinase 9 / Q000378:metabolism; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology*; D017539:Tunica Intima / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D001057:Apolipoproteins E; D001688:Biological Products; D018932:Chemokine CCL2; D053582:Interleukin-1alpha; D015850:Interleukin-6; D010936:Plant Extracts; C117343:red yeast rice; D000804:Angiotensin II; D002784:Cholesterol; D020778:Matrix Metalloproteinase 2; C522362:Mmp2 protein, mouse; D020780:Matrix Metalloproteinase 9; C501830:Mmp9 protein, mouse