• 한국식품영양과학회:학술대회논문집
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• 한국식품영양과학회 2004년도 Annual Meeting and International Symposium
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• pp.265-270
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• 2004

Coronary heart disease (CHD) has been the number one killer in western society for a long time, and CHD in most instances is due to atherosclerosis. One of the earliest events in atherogenesis is the intracellular accumulation of lipids, particularly cholesterol esters, in the aortic intima. The lipids presumably came from the uptake of plasma lipoproteins, particularly from LDL. These foam cells were identified as being predominantly as macrophages. Currently, it is believed that oxidation of low density lipoprotein (LDL) might contribute to the generation of foam cells. An outcome of the oxidation hypothesis is that the consumption of antioxidants would be beneficial. In this study, Boldine, an alkaloid of Peumus boldus was tested for their antioxidant potency both in, in vitro oxidation system and in mouse models. Boldine decreased the ex-vivo oxidation of Low-density lipoprotein (LDL). In vivo studies were performed to study the effect of these compounds on the atherosclerotic lesion formation in LDL r-/- mice. Three groups of LDL r-/- mice (N=12 each) were fed an atherogenic diet. Group 1 was given vehicle and group 2 and 3 were given 1 and 5 mg of Boldine/day in addition to the atherogenic diet. The results indicated that there was a decrease in lesion formation reaching a 40% reduction due to Boldine compared to controls. The in vivo tolerance of Boldine in humans (has been used as an herbal medicine in other diseases) should make it an attractive alternative to vitamin E.

• BMB Reports
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• 제51권10호
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• pp.520-525
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• 2018

Cardiovascular diseases arising from atherosclerosis are the leading causes of mortality and morbidity worldwide. Lipid-lowering agents have been developed in order to treat hypercholesterolemia, a major risk factor for atherosclerosis. However, the prevalence of cardiovascular diseases is increasing, indicating a need to identify novel therapeutic targets and develop new treatment agents. Adenosine receptors (ARs) are emerging as therapeutic targets in asthma, rheumatoid arthritis, cancer, ischemia, and inflammatory diseases. This study assessed whether LJ-1888, a selective antagonist for $A_3$ AR, can inhibit the development of atherosclerosis in apolipoprotein E knock-out ($ApoE^{-/-}$) mice who are fed a western diet. Plaque formation was significantly lower in $ApoE^{-/-}$ mice administered LJ-1888 than in mice not administered LJ-1888, without any associated liver damage. LJ-1888 treatment of $ApoE^{-/-}$ mice prevented western diet-induced hypercholesterolemia by markedly reducing low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels and significantly increasing high-density lipoprotein cholesterol concentrations. Reduced hypercholesterolemia in $ApoE^{-/-}$ mice administered LJ-1888 was associated with the enhanced expression of genes involved in bile acid biosynthesis. These findings indicate that LJ-1888, a selective antagonist for $A_3$ AR, may be a novel candidate for the treatment of atherosclerosis and hypercholesterolemia.