title: Hawthorn fruit attenuates atherosclerosis by improving the hypolipidemic and antioxidant activities in apolipoprotein e-deficient mice.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The protective effects of hawthorn fruit against atherosclerosis and the potential underlying mechanisms of this fruit in improving the hypolipidemic and antioxidant activities were investigated in apolipoprotein E-deficient(apoE(-/-)) mice.
  
  
  METHODS
  ApoE(-/-) mice were divided into a control group(n=10) and hawthorn fruit group(n=10). The mean size of the lesions in the aortic root was assessed, and the serum glucose levels, insulin levels, lipid profiles, total antioxidant capacity(T-AOC) and superoxide dismutase(SOD) and glutathione peroxidase(GSH-PX) activities were measured. The mRNA levels of hepatic genes related to lipid metabolism and antioxidant enzymes were examined.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The hawthorn fruit group mice developed significantly decreased(p＜0.05) atherosclerotic lesions. The levels of serum lipids decreased significantly(p＜0.05) and the levels of cholesterol/triglycerides, including very-low-density lipoprotein(VLDL) and low-density lipoprotein(LDL), decreased in the hawthorn fruit group. The hawthorn fruit mice exhibited significantly increased T-AOC values and SOD and GSH-PX activities(p＜0.05). The hepatic fatty acid synthase(FAS) and sterol regulatory element binding protein-1c(SREBP-1c) mRNA levels were reduced by 42%(p＜0.05) and 23% p＜0.05) in the mice fed the hawthorn fruit diet compared with that observed in the mice fed a standard diet. However, the hepatic hydroxymethylglutaryl CoA reductase(HMG-CoAR) mRNA levels showed no significant differences between the two groups. The mRNA expression levels of the antioxidant enzymes(SOD1, SOD2, Gpx3) were higher(p＜0.05) in the livers of the hawthorn fruit diet mice compared with those observed in the control mice.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Hawthorn fruit exerts a protective effect against atherosclerosis in apoE(-/-) mice by improving the hypolipidemic and antioxidant activities.
authors.affiliation: The Key Laboratory of Animal Resistant Biology of Shandong, College of Life Sciences, Shandong Normal University.
authors.forename: Yuying
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Liang
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Yue
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Geng
authors.forename: Yunhong
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Geng
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000378:metabolism*; D001057:Apolipoproteins E / Q000502:physiology*; D050197:Atherosclerosis / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D001835:Body Weight; D027825:Crataegus / Q000737:chemistry*; D004435:Eating; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D005638:Fruit / Q000737:chemistry*; D000960:Hypolipidemic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D008055:Lipids / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008517:Phytotherapy
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D001057:Apolipoproteins E; D000960:Hypolipidemic Agents; D008055:Lipids