Flaxseed Oil Containing α -Linolenic Acid Ester of Plant Sterol Improved Atherosclerosis in ApoE Deficient Mice

Hao Han; Peipei Yan; Li Chen; Cheng Luo; Hui Gao; Qianchun Deng; Mingming Zheng; Yong Shi; Liegang Liu

doi:10.1155/2015/958217

Flaxseed Oil Containing α -Linolenic Acid Ester of Plant Sterol Improved Atherosclerosis in ApoE Deficient Mice

Oxid Med Cell Longev. 2015:2015:958217. doi: 10.1155/2015/958217. Epub 2015 Jun 9.

Authors

Hao Han¹, Peipei Yan¹, Li Chen¹, Cheng Luo¹, Hui Gao¹, Qianchun Deng², Mingming Zheng², Yong Shi³, Liegang Liu¹

Affiliations

¹ Department of Nutrition and Food Hygiene, Hubei Key Laboratory of Food Nutrition and Safety, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China ; Key Laboratory of Environment and Health, Ministry of Education & Ministry of Environmental Protection and State Key Laboratory of Environmental Health (Incubating), School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China.
² Oil Crops Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Hubei Key Laboratory of Oil Crops Lipid Chemistry and Nutrition, Hubei University of Technology, Wuhan 430030, China.
³ School of Food and Pharmaceutical Engineering, Hubei University of Technology, Wuhan 430030, China.

Abstract

Plant sterols (PS) have potential preventive function in atherosclerosis due to their cholesterol-lowering ability. Dietary α-linolenic acid in flaxseed oil is associated with a reduction in cardiovascular events through its hypolipidemic and anti-inflammation properties. This study was designed to evaluate the effects of flaxseed oil containing α-linolenic acid ester of PS (ALA-PS) on atherosclerosis and investigate the underlying mechanisms. C57BL/6 mice were administered a regular diet and apoE knockout (apoE-KO) mice were given a high fat diet alone or supplemented with 5% flaxseed oil with or without 3.3% ALA-PS for 18 weeks. Results demonstrated that flaxseed oil containing ALA-PS was synergistically interaction in ameliorating atherosclerosis as well as optimizing overall lipid levels, inhibiting inflammation and reducing oxidative stress. These data were associated with the modification effects on expression levels of genes involved in lipid metabolism (PPARα, HMGCR, and SREBPs), inflammation (IL-6, TNF, MCP-1, and VCAM-1), and oxidative stress (NADPH oxidase).

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Animals
Apolipoproteins E / deficiency
Apolipoproteins E / genetics*
Atherosclerosis / drug therapy*
Atherosclerosis / metabolism
Atherosclerosis / pathology
Cytokines / genetics
Cytokines / metabolism
Diet, High-Fat
Hydroxymethylglutaryl CoA Reductases / genetics
Hydroxymethylglutaryl CoA Reductases / metabolism
Linseed Oil / chemistry
Linseed Oil / pharmacology
Linseed Oil / therapeutic use*
Lipid Metabolism / drug effects
Lipids / blood
Male
Mice
Mice, Inbred C57BL
Mice, Knockout
NADPH Oxidases / genetics
NADPH Oxidases / metabolism
Oxidative Stress / drug effects
PPAR alpha / genetics
PPAR alpha / metabolism
Phytosterols / chemistry*
Sterol Regulatory Element Binding Proteins / genetics
Sterol Regulatory Element Binding Proteins / metabolism
Vascular Cell Adhesion Molecule-1 / genetics
Vascular Cell Adhesion Molecule-1 / metabolism
alpha-Linolenic Acid / chemistry*

Substances

Apolipoproteins E
Cytokines
Lipids
PPAR alpha
Phytosterols
Sterol Regulatory Element Binding Proteins
Vascular Cell Adhesion Molecule-1
alpha-Linolenic Acid
Linseed Oil
Hydroxymethylglutaryl CoA Reductases
NADPH Oxidases