title: Xanthohumol prevents atherosclerosis by reducing arterial cholesterol content via CETP and apolipoprotein E in CETP-transgenic mice.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Xanthohumol is expected to be a potent anti-atherosclerotic agent due to its inhibition of cholesteryl ester transfer protein (CETP). In this study, we hypothesized that xanthohumol prevents atherosclerosis in vivo and used CETP-transgenic mice (CETP-Tg mice) to evaluate xanthohumol as a functional agent.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Two strains of mice, CETP-Tg and C57BL/6N (wild-type), were fed a high cholesterol diet with or without 0.05% (w/w) xanthohumol ad libitum for 18 weeks. In CETP-Tg mice, xanthohumol significantly decreased accumulated cholesterol in the aortic arch and increased HDL cholesterol (HDL-C) when compared to the control group (without xanthohumol). Xanthohumol had no significant effect in wild-type mice. CETP activity was significantly decreased after xanthohumol addition in CETP-Tg mice compared with the control group and it inversely correlated with HDL-C (%) (P<0.05). Furthermore, apolipoprotein E (apoE) was enriched in serum and the HDL-fraction in CETP-Tg mice after xanthohumol addition, suggesting that xanthohumol ameliorates reverse cholesterol transport via apoE-rich HDL resulting from CETP inhibition.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results suggest xanthohumol prevents cholesterol accumulation in atherogenic regions by HDL-C metabolism via CETP inhibition leading to apoE enhancement.
authors.affiliation: Frontier Laboratories of Value Creation, Sapporo Breweries Ltd., Yaizu, Shizuoka, Japan.
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hirata
authors.lastname: Yimin
authors.forename: Shuichi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Segawa
authors.forename: Moeko
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ozaki
authors.forename: Naoyuki
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kobayashi
authors.forename: Tatsuro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Shigyo
authors.forename: Hitoshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Chiba
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001013:Aorta, Thoracic / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D001057:Apolipoproteins E / Q000378:metabolism*; D050197:Atherosclerosis / Q000517:prevention & control*; D015153:Blotting, Western; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000378:metabolism*; D053480:Cholesterol Ester Transfer Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D004036:Diet, Atherogenic; D004586:Electrophoresis; D005419:Flavonoids / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D011427:Propiophenones / Q000494:pharmacology*; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction; D044366:Transition Temperature
chemical_list: D001057:Apolipoproteins E; D053480:Cholesterol Ester Transfer Proteins; D005419:Flavonoids; D011427:Propiophenones; D002784:Cholesterol; C104536:xanthohumol