Chinese medicine Tongxinluo reduces atherosclerotic lesion by attenuating oxidative stress and inflammation in microvascular endothelial cells.
Oxidative stress and inflammation are the important pathological basis of atherogenesis. So, attenuating oxidative stress and inflammation has a very important significance in the prevention and treatment of atherosclerosis. The aim of present study was to investigate whether anti-atherosclerotic effect of Tongxinluo (TXL), a compound traditional Chinese medicine, is related to its anti-oxidation and anti-inflammation in human cardiac microvascular endothelial cells (HCMEC). We found that TXL treatment significantly reduced serum lipid levels and atherosclerotic plaque formation of apoE-deficient mice, and improved endothelial cell function as evidenced by increased expression of CD31 and eNOS. TXL pretreatment could abrogate the up-regulation of ROS and MDA induced by C16. Further experiments showed that the anti-oxidative effect of TXL may be related to inhibiting the expression of p22(phox), p47(phox) and HO-1 in HCMECs. We also found that TXL could inhibit the release of IL-1β and TNFα induced by C16, which is mediated by inhibiting the expression and activation of NF-κB. In conclusion, TXL decreases atherosclerotic plaque formation and improves endothelial cell function by inhibiting oxidative stress and inflammation in HCMECs. This finding provides a new molecular mechanism for the anti-atherosclerotic effect of TXL.
Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Hebei Medical University Zhongshan East Road, Shijiazhuang 050017, China ; The Second Hospital of Hebei Medical University Shijiazhuang 050000, China.
Xiao-Li
XL
Wu
Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Hebei Medical University Zhongshan East Road, Shijiazhuang 050017, China.
Bin
B
Zheng
Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Hebei Medical University Zhongshan East Road, Shijiazhuang 050017, China.
Li-Shuang
LS
Jin
Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Hebei Medical University Zhongshan East Road, Shijiazhuang 050017, China.
Ruo-Nan
RN
Zhang
Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Hebei Medical University Zhongshan East Road, Shijiazhuang 050017, China.
Ming
M
He
Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Hebei Medical University Zhongshan East Road, Shijiazhuang 050017, China.
Zhan
Z
Yang
Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Hebei Medical University Zhongshan East Road, Shijiazhuang 050017, China.
Jin-Kun
JK
Wen
D000818:Animals; D001057:Apolipoproteins E / Q000172:deficiency / Q000235:genetics; D050197:Atherosclerosis / Q000473:pathology*; D015153:Blotting, Western; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000494:pharmacology*; D042783:Endothelial Cells / Q000187:drug effects*; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007249:Inflammation / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000187:drug effects*; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
D001057:Apolipoproteins E; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; C513941:tongxinluo
TXL; atherosclerosis; human cardiac microvascular endothelial cells; inflammation; oxidative stress