Longxuetongluo capsule inhibits atherosclerosis progression in high-fat diet-induced ApoE-/- mice by improving endothelial dysfunction

Background and aims: Chinese dragon's blood has been used to treat blood stasis for thousands of years. Its total phenolic extract (Longxuetongluo capsule, LTC) is used for the treatment of ischemic stroke; however, its protective effect against atherosclerosis remains poorly understood. This paper aims to investigate the antiatherosclerotic effect of LTC and the underlying mechanisms in high-fat diet (HFD)induced ApoE(-/-) mice. Methods: The levels of plasma lipid and areas of atherosclerotic lesions in the aortic sinus in ApoE(-/-) mice were evaluated. The effect of LTC on the nitric oxide (NO) production in oxidized low-density lipoprotein (ox-LDL)-stimulated human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) was determined. The adhesion of monocytes to ox-LDL-stimulated HUVECs was further studied. Results: LTC at low, medium, and high doses markedly decreased the atherosclerotic lesion areas of the aortic sinus in HFD-induced ApoE(-/-) mice by 26.4% (p < 0.05), 30.1% (p < 0.05), and 46.5% (p < 0.01), respectively, although it did not improve the dyslipidemia. Furthermore, LTC restored the diminished NO production of ox-LDL-stimulated HUVECs (p < 0.001) and inhibited the adhesion between monocytes and endothelial cells (p < 0.01). LTC appeared to alleviate ox-LDL-stimulated dysfunction of HUVECs, and inhibit the adhesion of monocytes to HUVECs via the MAPK/IKK/IkB/NF-kappa B signaling pathway, thus decrease atherosclerotic lesions in the aortic sinus in HFD-induced ApoE(-/-) mice. Conclusions: These findings suggest the potential of LTC for use as an effective agent against atherosclerosis. (C) 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.