Abstract
BackgroundBitter melon (BM, Momordica charantia) has been accepted as an effective complementary treatment of metabolic disorders such as diabetes, hypertension, dyslipidemia and etc. However it is unclear whether BM can prevent the progression of atherosclerosis. To confirm the effects of BM on atherosclerosis and explore its underlying mechanisms, we design this study.MethodsTwenty four male apolipoprotein E knock-out (ApoE-/-) mice aged 8 weeks were randomly divided into control group fed with high fat diet (HFD) only and BM group fed with HFD mixed with 1.2%w/w BM. After 16 weeks, body weight, food intake, blood glucose, serum lipids were measured and the atherosclerotic plaque area and its histological composition were analyzed. The expression of vascular cell adhesive molecules and inflammatory cytokines in the aortas were determined using quantitative polymerase chain reaction.ResultsBody weight gain and serum triglycerides (TG) significantly decreased in BM group. BM reduced not only the atherosclerotic plaque area and the contents of collagen fibers in atherosclerotic plaques but also the serum soluble vascular cell adhesion molecule (VCAM)-1 and P-selectin levels, as well as the expressions of monocyte chemoattractant protein (MCP)-1 and interleukin (IL)-6 in aortas.ConclusionOur study indicates that dietary BM can attenuate the development of atherosclerosis in ApoeE-/- mice possibly through reducing triglyceride and anti-inflammation mechanism.
Highlights
Bitter melon (BM, Momordica charantia) has been accepted as an effective complementary treatment of metabolic disorders such as diabetes, hypertension, dyslipidemia and etc
We found that BM helps to resist the body weight gain induced by high fat diet (HFD) in ApoE-/- mice with no effect on food intake, which is consistent with the previous reports [20]
We observed that the TG, a marker for atherogenic lipoproteins [21], obviously decreased after treating with BM. we find out the reduction of pro-inflammatory cytokines and cellular adhesion molecules, which play an important role in inflammation of cardiovascular disease, when treated with bitter melon
Summary
Bitter melon (BM, Momordica charantia) has been accepted as an effective complementary treatment of metabolic disorders such as diabetes, hypertension, dyslipidemia and etc. It is unclear whether BM can prevent the progression of atherosclerosis. To confirm the effects of BM on atherosclerosis and explore its underlying mechanisms, we design this study. Abundant evidences showed that Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) can present the progression of atherosclerosis via anti-oxidation and anti-inflammation [3,4,5]. The bioactive components of bitter melon, one of the most common TCMs, have been reported to improve the glucose and lipids metabolism, Zeng et al Lipids in Health and Disease (2018) 17:251 Control BM P value.
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