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Current Molecular Medicine

Editor-in-Chief

ISSN (Print): 1566-5240
ISSN (Online): 1875-5666

Research Article

Naoxintong Retards Atherosclerosis by Inhibiting Foam Cell Formation Through Activating Pparα Pathway

Author(s): Zeng Wang, Huairui Shi, Huan Zhao, Zhen Dong, Buchang Zhao, Xinyu Weng, Rongle Liu, Xiao Li, Kai Hu, Yunzeng Zou, Aijun Sun* and Junbo Ge *

Volume 18, Issue 10, 2018

Page: [698 - 710] Pages: 13

DOI: 10.2174/1566524019666190207143207

open access plus

Abstract

Backgrounds: We recently reported that Naoxintong (NXT), a China Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved cardiac medicine, could reduce the plaque size, but the underlying mechanism remains elusive now.

Objective: In this study, we investigated the effects of NXT on foam cell accumulation both in vivo and in vitro and explored related mechanisms.

Method: THP-1 cells and bone marrow-derived macrophages were incubated with oxidized low-density lipoprotein (ox-LDL) with/without Naoxintong. ApoE-/- mice fed an atherogenic diet were administered to receive NXT for eight weeks. Macrophage-derived foam cell formation in plaques was measured by immunohistochemical staining. Expression of proteins was evaluated by Western blot. Lentivirus was used to knockdown PPARα in THP-1 cells.

Results: After NXT treatment, foam cell accumulation was significantly reduced in atherosclerotic plaques. Further investigation revealed that oxidized low-density lipoprotein (ox-LDL) uptake was significantly decreased and expression of scavenger receptor class A (SR-A) and class B (SR-B and CD36) was significantly downregulated post-NXT treatment. On the other hand, NXT increased cholesterol efflux and upregulated ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporters (ABCA-1 and ABCG-1) in macrophages. Above beneficial effects of NXT were partly abolished after lentiviral knockdown of PPARα.

Conclusion: Our findings suggest that NXT could retard atherosclerosis by inhibiting foam cell formation through reducing ox-LDL uptake and enhancing cholesterol efflux and above beneficial effects are partly mediated through PPARα pathway.

Keywords: Naoxintong, atherosclerosis, macrophage, foam cell, PPARα.


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