AUTHOR=Tang Le , Kuang Cuifang , Shan Dan , Shi Min , Li Jiangsheng , Qiu Liang , Yu Jun 

TITLE=The ethanol extract of Edgeworthia gardneri (Wall.) Meisn attenuates macrophage foam cell formation and atherogenesis in ApoE−/− mice

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Cardiovascular Medicine

VOLUME=9

YEAR=2022

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/cardiovascular-medicine/articles/10.3389/fcvm.2022.1023438

DOI=10.3389/fcvm.2022.1023438

ISSN=2297-055X

ABSTRACT=<sec><title>Introduction</title><p>Atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death worldwide. The <italic>Edgeworthia gardneri</italic> (Wall.) Meisn is a Tibetan medicine commonly used to prepare herbal tea to alleviate the local people's metabolic diseases. However, the anti-atherosclerotic effect of ethanol extract of the flower of <italic>E. gardneri</italic> (Wall.) Meisn (EEEG) and its underlying mechanism remain unknown.</p></sec><sec><title>Methods</title><p>EEEG was used to treat low-density lipoprotein (ox-LDL)-induced macrophages to detect macrophage foaminess, cholesterol binding and uptake, and lipid transport-related gene expression. eEEG treated ApoE<sup>−/−</sup> mice fed a high-fat diet for 16 weeks to detect atherosclerotic plaque area, macrophage infiltration, and liver and small intestine lipid transport-related gene expression.</p></sec><sec><title>Results</title><p>EEEG inhibited macrophage-derived foam cell formation induced by oxidized low-density lipoprotein (ox-LDL) by reducing CD36-mediated lipoprotein uptake. EEEG significantly alleviated atherosclerosis in ApoE<sup>−/−</sup> mice fed a high-fat diet for 16 weeks. EEEG treatment significantly decreased atherosclerotic plaque area, macrophage infiltration, and increased collagen content. Moreover, EEEG treatment significantly downregulated mRNA expression of hepatic <italic>Srb1</italic> and intestinal <italic>Npc1l1</italic> and increased expression of hepatic <italic>Cyp7a1</italic>.</p></sec><sec><title>Conclusion</title><p>Our study highlighted that EEEG played a role in attenuating atherosclerotic plaque formation by reducing macrophage foam cell formation.</p></sec>