title: Monascus Adlay and Monacolin K Attenuates Arterial Thrombosis in Rats through the Inhibition of ICAM-1 and Oxidative Stress.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Monascus Adlay (MA) prepared from fungal fermentation of Monascus purpureus inoculating with cooked adlay contains high content of monakolin K (MK) and phenolic compounds. We explored whether MA and MK improve FeCl3-induced arterial thrombosis in rats.
  
  
  METHODS
  The rats were divided into control, FeCl3-treated rat carotid artery occlusion (TTO), TTO determined with one-week MA, and TTO determined with one-week MK. We compared MA or MK effects on oxidative stress by chemiluminescence amplification and immunohistochemistry, TTO by a transonic system, NFκB, ICAM-1, endoplasmic reticulum stress CHOP and Nrf2 signaling by western blotting.
  
  
  RESULTS
  MA or MK efficiently depressed O2-, H2O2 and HOCl levels, platelet activation and aggregation and H2O2-enhanced ICAM-1 and VCAM-1 expression in the endothelial cells. FeCl3 significantly increased NFκB p65, 3-nitrotyrosine, CHOP and ICAM-1 expression, and decreased nuclear Nrf2 translocation and induces arterial thrombus formation. MA or MK pretreatment significantly elongated the level of FeCl3-induced TTO compared to TTO group, significantly decreased proinflammatory NF-κB/ICAM-1 signaling, endoplasmic reticulum stress CHOP expression and decreased thrombotic area. MA or MK significantly preserved nuclear Nrf2 translocation. MA and MK exerted a similar protective effect in attenuating thrombus formation.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We suggest MA is better than MK to improve FeCl3-induced arterial thrombosis.
authors.affiliation: Departments of Life Science, College of Science, National Taiwan Normal University, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: An-Jan
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Tien
authors.forename: Tsung-Hung
authors.initials: TH
authors.lastname: Chueh
authors.forename: Chih-Ping
authors.initials: CP
authors.lastname: Hsia
authors.forename: Chiang-Ting
authors.initials: CT
authors.lastname: Chien
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002339:Carotid Arteries / Q000187:drug effects; D002712:Chlorides; D005290:Ferric Compounds; D018799:Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1 / Q000187:drug effects*; D008148:Lovastatin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D032741:Monascus / Q000737:chemistry*; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000187:drug effects*; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats; D013927:Thrombosis / Q000188:drug therapy*
chemical_list: D002712:Chlorides; D005290:Ferric Compounds; C000609942:ICAM1 protein, rat; D010936:Plant Extracts; D018799:Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1; D008148:Lovastatin; C024555:ferric chloride