Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
Pivot Concepts:   Target Concepts:
Query: UMLS:C0004153 (atherosclerosis)
 77,401 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Acyl-CoA: cholesterol acyltransferase (ACAT) catalyzes the acylation of cholesterol to cholesteryl ester with long chain fatty acids and ACAT inhibition is a useful strategy for treating hypercholesterolemia or atherosclerosis. Pentacyclic triterpenes, ursolic acid (1), oleanolic acid (2), and betulinic acid (3) were isolated from the methanol extracts of the leaves of Lycopus lucidus TURCZ. by bioassay-guided fractionation. The structures of compounds 1-3 were elucidated by their spectroscopic data analysis. Among them, betulinic acid (3) exhibited more potent human ACAT-1 and ACAT-2 inhibitory activities with IC(50) values of 16.2+/-0.6 and 28.8+/-1.3 microM, respectively.
 ...
PMID:Human ACAT-1 and ACAT-2 inhibitory activities of pentacyclic triterpenes from the leaves of Lycopus lucidus TURCZ. 1646 51

A selection of wild plants collected in Valsesia (Northwest Italy) was screened for their in vitro antioxidant activity. Aerial parts of selected plants were dried at room temperature and powdered. Then, four sequential extractions were performed with increasing polarity solvents, i.e. n-hexane, chloroform, chloroform-methanol (9:1, v/v) and methanol. By employing different assays, it was shown that all the methanol extracts of the samples collected were endowed with antioxidant activity, though, as expected, their potency varied according to the different tests. In particular, plants of the Thymus and Achillea genus displayed the highest activity. Given that a diet rich in wild plants is associated with a reduced incidence of degenerative diseases, such as atherosclerosis and cancer, this study suggests that some Valsesia plants could be pharmaceutically exploited.
 ...
PMID:Antioxidant activity of wild plants collected in Valsesia, an alpine region of Northern Italy. 1661 33

Danshen, the dried root of Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge (Lamiaceae), is one of the most commonly used traditional Chinese medicines for cardiovascular indications. In EA.hy 926 cells, a cell line derived from human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC), an aqueous extract of danshen, and also a methanol extract of the plant, increased eNOS promoter activity, eNOS mRNA and protein expression, as well as endothelial NO production. A dichloromethane extract, in contrast, did not change eNOS gene expression. Thus, the active danshen constituent(s) responsible for eNOS upregulation is (are) hydrophilic and/or alcohol-soluble. One such compound is ursolic acid that significantly increased eNOS expression in EA.hy 926 cells and native HUVEC, and enhanced bioactive NO production measured in terms of its cGMP increasing activity. Other tested hydrophilic and alcohol-soluble compounds isolated from danshen had no effect on eNOS expression. Interestingly, ursolic acid also reduced the expression of the NADPH oxidase subunit Nox4 and suppressed the production of reactive oxygen species in human endothelial cells. Upregulation of eNOS and a parallel downregulation of Nox4 lead to an increase in bioactive NO. This in turn could mediate some of the beneficial effects of danshen. Ursolic acid is a prototypical compound responsible for this effect of the plant.
Atherosclerosis 2007 Nov
PMID:Ursolic acid from the Chinese herb danshen (Salvia miltiorrhiza L.) upregulates eNOS and downregulates Nox4 expression in human endothelial cells. 1748 37

Prolipid a known mixture of herbs is used as a plasma lipid lowering medicine. No side effects were registered. However, the bioactive substances of Prolipid were not investigated. Therefore in this investigation Prolipids bioactive compounds and antioxidant activity were studied. The contents of polyphenols and flavonoids were 19.87 +/- 2.09 and 3.09 +/- 0.31 mg gallic acid equivalent GAE/g DW and 2.09 +/- 0.24 and 0.57 +/- 0.05 mg catechin equivalent CE/g DW in water and methanol fractions, respectively. Anthocyanins (0.02 +/- 0.001 mg/g DW) and flavanols (7.58 +/- 0.81 microg CE/g DW) were found only in water fraction. The antioxidant activity of Prolipid, as determined by four different antioxidant assays [ferric-reducing/antioxidant power (FRAP); cupric reducing antioxidant capacity (CUPRAC); trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity (TEAC); 1, 1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl radical (DPPH)], was higher in water than in methanol fraction. The correlation coefficients between polyphenols, flavonoids and antioxidant activities of Prolipid water extracts with TEAC were 0.97 and 0.90, respectively. It can be concluded that the content of polyphenol compounds in Prolipid is very high and they are the main contributors to Prolipids overall antioxidant activity. Prolipid is widely used in human treatment without known side effects on patients and is comparable to other medicinal plants, and as a strong antioxidant mixture could be used as a supplement to known atherosclerosis preventing diets.
 ...
PMID:Biochemical characteristics of the herb mixture Prolipid as a plant food supplement and medicinal remedy. 1791 10

Oxidative stress is thought to play a central role in low-density lipoprotein (LDL) oxidation, and the oxidative modification of LDL is thought to be a key factor during early atherogenesis. Therefore, the prevention of LDL oxidation by antioxidants might arrest the progression of atherosclerosis. This study was conducted to determine the effect of glabridin, a natural polyphenolic isoflavone antioxidant isolated from licorice root, on LDL oxidation. The determination of the extent of LDL oxidation was accomplished by measuring the formation of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS). The oxidative stress level was assessed using a FORM system/CR 3000 instrument. After the oral administration of a glycyrrhizin-free licorice-root methanol extract (containing glabridin 60 mg) to healthy subjects for 6 months, the subjects' oxidative stress level as well as plasma LDL oxidation decreased by 20%. We conclude that the dietary consumption of glabridin can partially protect LDL from oxidation.
 ...
PMID:The effect of an endogenous antioxidant glabridin on oxidized LDL. 1902 95

The quantification of aortic lesions is an important end-point analysis for evaluating atherogenesis in mouse models of atherosclerosis. Morphometric methods involving the staining of aorta with a Sudan lysochrome followed by image analysis of the stained lesion area are commonly used. We have developed a more rapid method involving solubilisation of the stain retained by aortic lesions. In 2 separate studies, 5-week-old male apoE(-/-) and C57BL/6 wild-type (apoE(+/+)) mice were given a high fat (21%), Western-type diet for 13, 15 or 25 weeks. At study termination, the descending thoracic aorta (DA) and/or aortic arch (AA) were stained with Oil Red O (ORO). The incorporated stain was extracted using chloroform/methanol (2:1) solvent and quantified by spectrophotometry at 520 nm. In study 1 (13 weeks), ORO stain in the AA and DA of apoE(-/-) mice was 1.9 and 1.4 times higher than background staining of apoE(+/+) aorta tissue, respectively. At 15 and 25 weeks (study 2), ORO stain in the AA of apoE(-/-) mice was 1.9 and 2.5 times higher than the background, respectively. We conclude that the ORO solubilisation technique applied to AA samples is a very useful and rapid method for atherosclerotic lesion quantification.
 ...
PMID:Rapid quantification of aortic lesions in apoE(-/-) mice. 1914 14

The steroidal liver X receptor agonist, 3alpha,6alpha,24-trihydroxy-24,24-di(trifluoromethyl)-5beta-cholane (ATI-829) is a potential therapeutic agent for the treatment of atherosclerosis. A sensitive and selective liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS-MS) method for the quantification of ATI-829 in mouse plasma was developed and validated. Proteins in a 25 microL aliquot of mouse plasma were precipitated, and ATI-829 was extracted from the precipitate by the addition of 125 microL methanol. The overall extraction efficiency was greater than 99%. LC-MS-MS with negative ion electrospray and selected reaction monitoring was used for the quantitative analysis of ATI-829. The lower limit of quantitation of ATI-829 corresponded to 5.0 ng/mL (9.7 nM) plasma. Interference from matrix was negligible. The calibration curve was linear over the range 5-2000 ng/mL. The intra-day precision and inter-day precision of the analyses were <4.5% and <6%, respectively, and the accuracy ranged from 92% to 103%. ATI-829 in plasma was stable for at least 6 h at room temperature, 1 week at 4 degrees C, and 3 weeks at -20 degrees C. The validated method was then utilized for pharmacokinetic studies of ATI-829 administered to mice.
 ...
PMID:Quantitative analysis of 3alpha,6alpha,24-trihydroxy-24,24-di(trifluoromethyl)-5beta-cholane, a potent synthetic steroidal liver X receptor agonist in plasma using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. 2062 26

Formaldehyde (HCHO) may reach living organisms as an exogenous agent or produced within cells. The so-called formaldehydogenic compounds like S-adenosyl-L-methionine, N-hydroxymethyl-L-arginine, 1'-methyl ascorbigen, methanol, E-N-trimethyl lysine and methylamine are special exogenous sources of HCHO. Endogenous HCHO can be formed from hydroxymethyl groups during enzymatic methylation and demethylation processes. HCHO, as a highly reactive compound, is considered to be involved in the induction of apoptosis, consequently in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis and neurodegenerative processes. The biological action of HCHO is dose-dependent. In vitro studies on tumour cell and endothelial cell cultures showed that HCHO in the concentration of 10.0 mM caused necrotic cell death, 1.0 mM resulted in enhanced apoptosis and reduced mitotic activity, while 0.5 and 0.1 mM enhanced cell proliferation and reduced apoptotic activity. Among formaldehydogenic compounds N-hydroxymethyl-L-arginine, 1'-methyl ascorbigen and the HCHO donor resveratrol may be considered as potential inhibitors of cell proliferation. Endogenous HCHO in plants apparently play a role in regulation of apoptosis and cell proliferation. The genotoxic and carcinogentic effects of HCHO is due to production of DNA-protein cross-links. Low doses of HCHO, reducing apoptotic activity may also accumulate cells with such cross-links. Experimental data point to the possible therapeutic use of methylated lysine residues and methylated arginine residues in the case of neoplasms.
 ...
PMID:Effect of formaldehyde on cell proliferation and death. 2106 24

Increasing incidences of diabetes in Africa has prompted the search for safe and readily available alternative herbal remedies for the treatment of diabetes mellitus. Cnestis ferruginea was extracted with methanol and ethylacetate and the extracts obtained were tested for hypoglycaemic activities in streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic rats and mice. The extracts (250 mg/kg body weight) were administered orally for 10 consecutive days to STZ-induced diabetic rats while a single dose (250 mg/kg body weight) of the extracts were administered to STZ-induced diabetic mice. Fasting blood glucose (FBG) levels were determined in the two groups of animals after extract administration. There was significant reduction in FBG (P< 0.005) by MCF and ECF within 4 hrs of extract administration in a time- dependent manner. Furthermore, administration of MCF and ECF for 10 days significantly lowered FBG in STZ diabetic rats (P<0.005) by 74% and 68%, respectively, whereas, glibenclamide - a standard antidiabetic drug reduced FBG by 60%. The levels of serum creatinine, urea, triglyceride, total cholesterol, total protein and level of lipid peroxidation were also evaluated. The extracts reduced significantly (P<0.005) the elevated levels of serum ALT and AST in diabetic treated rats. Similarly, both extracts significantly lowered (P<0.005) the levels of serum creatinine, urea, total cholesterol, triglyceride and thiobarbituric acid reactive species (TBARS).These results suggest that Cnestis ferruginea leaves contain a highly potent hypoglycaemic principle and could be a potential source for isolation of new orally active antihyperglycaemic compounds for attenuating secondary complications of diabetes such as atherosclerosis, liver and renal dysfunction.
 ...
PMID:Hypoglycaemic and biochemical properties of Cnestis ferruginea. 2146 Nov 45

Free and total (after basic hydrolysis) polyphenols in nine types of raw and roasted nuts and two types of peanut butter (54 commercial samples) were analyzed after methanol extraction by a single step Folin-Ciocalteu reagent using catechin as standard. Walnuts had the highest free and total polyphenols in both the combined raw and roasted samples. Total polyphenols in the nuts were significantly higher than free polyphenols. Roasting had little effect on either free or total polyphenols in nuts. Raw and roasted walnuts had the highest total polyphenols. The efficacy of raw and roasted nut antioxidants was assessed by measuring the ability of the free polyphenol nut extracts to inhibit the oxidation of lower density lipoproteins (LDL + VLDL). A nut polyphenol, catechin, was measured after binding of three nut extracts to lower density lipoproteins. Walnut polyphenols had the best efficacy among the nuts and also the highest lipoprotein-bound antioxidant activity. Based on USDA availability data, the per capita total polyphenols was 162 mg from nuts per day in 2008. This corresponds to 19% of the total polyphenols from fruits and vegetables, nuts, grains, oils and spices in the US diet. Nuts provided 158 mg of polyphenols per day to the European Union diet. Nuts are high in polyphenol antioxidants which by binding to lipoproteins would inhibit oxidative processes that lead to atherosclerosis in vivo. In human supplementation studies nuts have been shown to improve the lipid profile, increase endothelial function and reduce inflammation, all without causing weight gain. These qualities make nuts a nutritious healthy snack and food additive.
 ...
PMID:Nuts, especially walnuts, have both antioxidant quantity and efficacy and exhibit significant potential health benefits. 2218 94


<< Previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 Next >>