Polydatin relieves atherosclerosis by inhibiting cholesterol accumulation

In this study, researchers from China’s Southern Medical University examined the effects and molecular mechanism of polydatin on atherosclerosis in ApoE-knockout (ApoE^???) mice. The results of their study were published in The American Journal of Chinese Medicine.

• Cholesterol metabolism becomes imbalanced during the formation of macrophage-derived foam cells.
• Pre-B-cell colony-enhancing factor (PBEF) affects lipid deposition and inflammation in atherosclerosis.
• For their study, the researchers used 30 ApoE^??? mice fed a high-fat diet for 12 weeks. They then treated the mice with polydatin for another 12 weeks.
• They stained whole aortas and cryosections with oil red O and measured blood lipid, PBEF, and cytokine levels using ELISA.
• The researchers used qRT-PCR and Western blotting to determine the mRNA and protein levels of cholesterol metabolism-related genes.
• They determined the cell cholesterol content and viability in macrophages and RAW 264.7 cells. They also used PBEF siRNA to study the effect of polydatin on cholesterol metabolism in macrophages incubated with ox-LDL.
• The researchers reported that polydatin lowered blood lipids and decreased atherosclerotic lesions in ApoE^??? mice.
• Polydatin also regulated the expression of cytokines and the mRNA of cholesterol metabolism-related genes.
• On the other hand, polydatin down-regulated the expression of PBEF mRNA and protein.
• In vitro, polydatin protected RAW 264.7 cells treated with oxidized LDL (ox-LDL) and inhibited cholesterol uptake by macrophages.
• Polydatin modulated cholesterol metabolism in macrophages, partly through down-regulation of PBEF.

Based on these results, the researchers concluded that polydatin relieves atherosclerosis injury in ApoE^??? mice by down-regulating PBEF expression and inhibiting PBEF-inducing cholesterol deposits in macrophages.

Journal Reference:

Huang Z, Tian G, Cheng S, Zhao D, Zhang Y, Jia Y, Zhou F. POLYDATIN ATTENUATES ATHEROSCLEROSIS IN APOE??? MICE THROUGH PBEF MEDIATED REDUCTION OF CHOLESTEROL DEPOSITION. The American Journal of Chinese Medicine. 2018;46(08):1841–1859. DOI: 10.1142/s0192415x18500921