title: Sesamin enhances cholesterol efflux in RAW264.7 macrophages.
abstract: Foam cells formation as a result of the uncontrolled cytophagy of modified cholesterol by macrophages plays a key role in the occurrence and development of atherosclerosis. Sesamin is an active constituent of Sesamum indicum which has been shown to possess multiple pharmacological activities. In this work, we investigated the effects of sesamin on foam cell formation and cholesterol efflux in RAW264.7 macrophages. Sesamin dose-dependently inhibited the enhanced cholesterol accumulation elicited by oxidized low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (oxLDL) in RAW264.7 cells. Treatment with sesamin (10 μM) significantly enhanced cholesterol efflux mediated by high-density lipoprotein (HDL). Realtime quantitative PCR and luciferase assays showed that sesamin significantly increased the mRNA levels of PPARγ, LXRα, and ABCG1, and increased the transcriptional activity of PPARγ. The stimulating effect of sesamin on cholesterol efflux was substantially inhibited by the co-treatment with GW9662, a potent inhibitor of PPARγ. These results suggest that sesamin is a new inhibitor of foam cell formation that may stimulate cholesterol efflux through upregulation of the PPARγ-LXRα-ABCG1 pathway.
authors.affiliation: Cardiac Surgical Intensive Care Unit, Beijing Anzhen Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing Institute of Heart Lung and Blood Vessel Diseases, Beijing 100029, China. ln9102@vip.sina.com.
authors.forename: Nan
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Pharmacology and Toxicology Research Center, Institute of Medicinal Plant Development, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100094, China. wucm1979@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Chongming
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Beijing Anzhen Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing Institute of Heart Lung and Blood Vessel Diseases, Beijing 100029, China. anzhen5@126.com.
authors.forename: Lizhong
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Beijing Anzhen Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing Institute of Heart Lung and Blood Vessel Diseases, Beijing 100029, China. dr.zhengjun@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zheng
authors.affiliation: Pharmacology and Toxicology Research Center, Institute of Medicinal Plant Development, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100094, China. pguo@implad.ac.cn.
authors.forename: Peng
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Guo
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001692:Biological Transport / Q000187:drug effects; D002460:Cell Line; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000378:metabolism*; D004149:Dioxoles / Q000494:pharmacology*; D017705:Lignans / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008264:Macrophages / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D051379:Mice
chemical_list: D004149:Dioxoles; D017705:Lignans; D002784:Cholesterol; C054125:sesamin