Honokiol inhibits carotid artery atherosclerotic plaque formation by suppressing inflammation and oxidative stress
Open Access
- 4 May 2020
- journal article
- research article
- Published by Impact Journals, LLC in Aging
- Vol. 12 (9), 8016-8028
- https://doi.org/10.18632/aging.103120
Abstract
Honokiol is a natural active compound extracted from Chinese herbal medicine, Magnolia officinalis. In this study, the role of honokiol in the development of carotid artery atherosclerotic lesions was evaluated in an ApoE-/- mouse model fed with a normal diet (ND) or a Western-type diet (WD) for ten weeks. After first two weeks, a perivascular collar was surgically placed on the right common carotid arteries of the mice. Then, WD-fed mice were intraperitoneally injected with honokiol (10 or 20 mg/kg) or administrated with 10 mg/kg atorvastatin calcium by gavage once a day for eight weeks. After that, the right common carotid arteries were excised for further experiments. The result showed that honokiol substantially inhibited the development of atherosclerotic lesions. Furthermore, honokiol downregulated the expression of pro-inflammatory markers, like tumor necrosis factor-alpha, interleukin (IL)-6, and IL-1 beta. Additionally, honokiol treatment decreased reactive oxygen species level and enhanced superoxide dismutase activity. Nitric oxide level, inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) expression, and aberrant activation of nuclear factor-kappa B pathway were also significantly inhibited by honokiol treatment. Together, these findings suggest that honokiol protects against atherosclerotic plaque formation in carotid artery, and may be an effective drug candidate for the treatment of carotid artery atherosclerotic stenosis.Keywords
This publication has 46 references indexed in Scilit:
- Nitric oxide synthases: regulation and functionEuropean Heart Journal, 2011
- Therapeutic applications of compounds in the Magnolia familyPharmacology & Therapeutics, 2011
- Atherosclerosis induced by chronic inhibition of the synthesis of nitric oxide in moderately hypercholesterolaemic rabbits is suppressed by pitavastatinBritish Journal of Pharmacology, 2010
- Long-Term Interleukin-6 Levels and Subsequent Risk of Coronary Heart Disease: Two New Prospective Studies and a Systematic ReviewPLoS Medicine, 2008
- Disruption of tumor necrosis factor-α gene diminishes the development of atherosclerosis in ApoE-deficient miceAtherosclerosis, 2005
- Plasma tumour necrosis factor-α and early carotid atherosclerosis in healthy middle-aged menEuropean Heart Journal, 2002
- Induction of Rapid Atherogenesis by Perivascular Carotid Collar Placement in Apolipoprotein E–Deficient and Low-Density Lipoprotein Receptor–Deficient MiceCirculation, 2001
- Atherosclerosis — An Inflammatory DiseaseThe New England Journal of Medicine, 1999
- Spontaneous Hypercholesterolemia and Arterial Lesions in Mice Lacking Apolipoprotein EScience, 1992
- Severe hypercholesterolemia and atherosclerosis in apolipoprotein E-deficient mice created by homologous recombination in ES cellsCell, 1992