Tropical Journal of Pharmaceutical Research

Original Research Article | OPEN ACCESS

Anhuienoside C ameliorates atherosclerosis in rats via regulation of the NFÃŽÂºB/eNOS/NO signaling pathway

Bo Zhang, Xianghua Xu, Qiang Ma, Hao Qin, Junbo Zhang, Honggang Pang, Qian Yin, Yan Meng

Department of Peripheral Vascular Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710061, China;

For correspondence:- Yan Meng Email: MervinLeecge@yahoo.com Tel:+862985324087

Accepted: 31 January 2020 Published: 29 April 2020

Citation: Zhang B, Xu X, Ma Q, Qin H, Zhang J, Pang H, et al. Anhuienoside C ameliorates atherosclerosis in rats via regulation of the NFÃŽÂºB/eNOS/NO signaling pathway. Trop J Pharm Res 2020; 19(4):721-726 doi: 10.4314/tjpr.v19i4.7

© 2020 The authors.
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Abstract

Purpose: To investigate the protective effect of anhuienoside C (AC) against high cholesterol diet-induced atherosclerosis in a rat model.

Methods: Atherosclerosis was induced in rats by administration of high fat diet for 8 weeks, and AC (20 and 40 mg/kg) was administered orally. The effect of AC was determined by assessing serum lipid profiles and mediators of inflammation, as well as oxidative stress parameters in aortic tissue using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Western blot assay and reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) were used for the evaluation of protein expressions.

Results: Serum levels of total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TGs), high density lipoprotein (HDL), low density lipoprotein (LDLP), and IL-1β, IL-18, TNF-α and NF-κB were significantly reduced in AC-treated group, relative to atherosclerotic rats (p < 0.01). Moreover, parameters of oxidative stress were attenuated in the aortic tissues of AC-treated group, when compared with atherosclerotic rats. There was significant increase in eNOS expression, and marked decrease in the expressions of MAPK and NF-kB protein in the aortic tissue homogenate of AC treated group, relative to atherosclerotic group (p < 0.01). Treatment with AC attenuated the mRNA expressions of ICAM-1, VCAM-1 and MCP-1 in aortic tissue of the atherosclerotic rats.

Conclusion: These results reveal that AC prevents atherosclerosis in rats by modulating the NFκB/eNOS/NO signaling pathway, and thus, can thus potentially be developed as anti-atherosclerotic agent

Keywords: Anhuienoside C, Atherosclerosis, Inflammation, Oxidative stress, Cholesterol