Key result
Emodin treatment significantly reduced the percentage of lipid core in atherosclerotic plaques by 39% and the ratio of lipid to collagen content by 50.5% compared to control in fat-fed ApoE-deficient mice.
Why the study?
Does emodin improve atherosclerotic plaque stability in fat-fed ApoE-deficient mice?
Does emodin improve atherosclerotic plaque stability in fat-fed ApoE-deficient mice?
Effect estimate: 39% reduction
p-value: p=0.003
Emodin promotes atherosclerotic plaque stability in ApoE-deficient mice by decreasing the lipid core and the ratio of lipid to collagen content, likely through anti-inflammatory mechanisms involving PPAR-gamma activation.
Should not change practice; hypothesis-generating for emodin in human plaque stabilization.
Increasing evidence indicated that plaque stabilization is attributed to the composition of the atherosclerotic plaque, and inflammation plays an important role in the formation and progress of vulnerable atherosclerotic plaque (VAP), which is prone to rupture. Emodin, an important component of traditional Chinese herb rhubarb, has obvious anti-inflammatory effect, although its effect on atherosclerotic plaque stabilization is unknown. Apolipoprotein E (ApoE) is an important component of plasma lipoprotein with anti-atherosclerosis function, and the plaque in the aorta of ApoE-deficient mice has been demonstrated with characteristics of VAP. Therefore, this study was designed to determine whether emodin can stabilize the VAP in the ApoE-deficient mice and explain the possible mechanism. After fat-fed for 13 weeks, mice were randomized into three groups (11 animals/group) and intragastrically administrated with emodin, simvastatin or distilled water for 13 weeks, respectively. The plaque stability was evaluated by the morphology and composition of atherosclerotic plaques. Additionally, the expression of peroxisomal proliferator-activated receptor-gamma (PPAR-gamma), granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF), and matrix metalloproteinase 9 (MMP-9) in plaques was determined by the immunohistochemistry method. We showed that emodin could decrease the lipid core area and the ratio of lipid to collagen content in plaques. In addition, emodin significantly inhibited the expression of GM-CSF and MMP-9, whereas it induced the expression of PPAR-gamma in plaques. In conclusion, these results suggest that emodin can stabilize the VAP in the aortic root of ApoE-knockout mice, which is probably due to its anti-inflammatory effect.
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Zhou et al. (2008) studied Vulnerable atherosclerotic plaque (n=33). Emodin vs. Distilled water was evaluated on Percentage of lipid core in atherosclerotic plaque (39% reduction, p=0.003). Emodin treatment significantly reduced the percentage of lipid core in atherosclerotic plaques by 39% and the ratio of lipid to collagen content by 50.5% compared to control in fat-fed ApoE-deficient mice.
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