The Inflamm-Aging Model Identifies Key Risk Factors in Atherosclerosis

Anti?atherosclerotic effect of aged garlic extract: Mode of action and therapeutic benefits (Review)

Atherosclerosis, a chronic inflammatory disease characterized by plaque buildup within the arteries that obstructs blood flow and significantly increases the morbidity and mortality rates associated with cardiovascular diseases caused by impaired blood flow due to vascular stenosis or occlusion, such as angina and myocardial infarction. The development of atherosclerosis involves a complex interplay of endothelial dysfunction, accumulation of oxidized low-density lipoprotein and macrophage-driven inflammation. The risk factors for atherosclerosis include chronic inflammation, hyperlipidemia and hypertension. Effective management of these risk factors can prevent and delay the onset and progression of atherosclerosis. Garlic and its processed preparations have previously been utilized to mitigate cardiovascular risk factors and continue to be used in traditional medicine in several countries. Among these preparations, aged garlic extract (AGE) has been shown to improve atherosclerosis in clinical trials and animal studies. AGE contains various compounds with potential anti-atherosclerotic properties, such as S-1-propenylcysteine, S-allylcysteine and other sulfur-containing constituents, which may help prevent the development and progression of atherosclerosis. The present manuscript reviewed and discussed the anti-atherogenic effect of AGE and its constituents by highlighting their mode of action and potential benefits for prevention and therapy in the management of atherosclerosis.

Global research trends in inflammaging from 2005 to 2024: a bibliometric analysis

Background

Inflammaging, defined as chronic low-grade inflammation associated with aging, is considered a key factor in many age-related diseases. Despite growing research, comprehensive assessments of trends and focuses on this field over the past 2 decades remain lacking.

Objective

To comprehensively analyze literature development trends, scientific priorities, and their evolution in the field of inflammaging from 2005 to 2024 using bibliometric analysis.

Methods

Academic literature on inflammaging was retrieved from the Web of Science Core Collection. CiteSpace software was used as the bibliometric tool to analyze annual publication trends, contributing countries/regions, leading research institutions, primary journals, and keyword co-occurrence, including clustering and burst analysis in this field.

Results

The study included 1,800 eligible articles, demonstrating a consistent growth in research publications over the past 20 years. The United States and Italy were the principal contributors. The University of Bologna had the highest publication. Professor Claudio Franceschi has been a leading figure in this field. Journal analysis shows that research themes predominantly focus on molecular biology/immunology and medicine/clinical fields. Keyword analysis identifies major research hotspots as "inflammaging," "Crohn's disease," "periodontitis," "immunosenescence," "skeletal muscle," "gut microbiota," and "Parkinson's disease." Emerging term analysis indicates a shift from specific inflammatory diseases to broader aging and immune modulation studies.

Conclusion

This first systematic assessment of literature trends in the field of inflammaging from 2005 to 2024 reveals sustained academic growth and an increasingly deep research focus.

Elucidating emerging signaling pathways driving endothelial dysfunction in cardiovascular aging

The risk for developing cardiovascular diseases dramatically increases in older individuals, and aging vasculature plays a crucial role in determining their morbidity and mortality. Aging disrupts endothelial balance between vasodilators and vasoconstrictors, impairing function and promoting pathological vascular remodeling. In this Review, we discuss the impact of key and emerging molecular pathways that transduce aberrant inflammatory signals (i.e., chronic low-grade inflammation-inflammaging), oxidative stress, and mitochondrial dysfunction in aging vascular compartment. We focus on the interplay between these events, which contribute to generating a vicious cycle driving the progressive alterations in vascular structure and function during cardiovascular aging. We also discuss the primary role of senescent endothelial cells and vascular smooth muscle cells, and the potential link between vascular and myeloid cells, in impairing plaque stability and promoting the progression of atherosclerosis. The aim of this summary is to provide potential novel insights into targeting these processes for therapeutic benefit.

Elucidating the role of chemokines in inflammaging associated atherosclerotic cardiovascular diseases

Age-related inflammation or inflammaging is a critical deciding factor of physiological homeostasis during aging. Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are exquisitely associated with aging and inflammation and are one of the leading causes of high mortality in the elderly population. Inflammaging comprises dysregulation of crosstalk between the vascular and cardiac tissues that deteriorates the vasculature network leading to development of atherosclerosis and atherosclerotic-associated CVDs in elderly populations. Leukocyte differentiation, migration and recruitment holds a crucial position in both inflammaging and atherosclerotic CVDs through relaying the activity of an intricate network of inflammation-associated protein-protein interactions. Among these interactions, small immunoproteins such as chemokines play a major role in the progression of inflammaging and atherosclerosis. Chemokines are actively involved in lymphocyte migration and severe inflammatory response at the site of injury. They relay their functions via chemokine-G protein-coupled receptors-glycosaminoglycan signaling axis and is a principal part for the detection of age-related atherosclerosis and related CVDs. This review focuses on highlighting the detailed intricacies of the effects of chemokine-receptor interaction and chemokine oligomerization on lymphocyte recruitment and its evident role in clinical manifestations of atherosclerosis and related CVDs. Further, the role of chemokine mediated signaling for formulating next-generation therapeutics against atherosclerosis has also been discussed.

High Tyrosol and Hydroxytyrosol Intake Reduces Arterial Inflammation and Atherosclerotic Lesion Microcalcification in Healthy Older Populations

Aging is an important risk factor for cardiovascular diseases and convincing data have shown that chronic low-grade inflammation, which develops with advanced age, contributes significantly to cardiovascular risk. The present study aimed to use 18F-FDG/18F-NaF-PET/CT imaging to, respectively, gauge arterial inflammation and microcalcification in a healthy elderly population and to assess the potential benefits of a tyrosol- and hydroxytyrosol-rich diet on these two markers of atherosclerotic plaque fragility. Eleven healthy participants (mean age 75 ± 5.67 years) were supplemented for 6 months with high polyphenol-rich extra virgin olive oil (HP-EVOO), extra virgin olive oil (EVOO), or refined olive oil (ROO). The participants underwent PET/CT imaging with 18F-FDG and 18F-NaF radiotracers at baseline and after 6 months. 18F-FDG and 18F-NaF uptakes were quantified using standardized uptake values (SUV) and were categorized based on artery calcification and olive oil type. A total of 324 slices of the aortas of the imaged participants were analyzed for arterial inflammation and 327 slices were analyzed for microcalcification. 18F-FDG uptake was significantly higher in the non-calcified segments than in the calcified segments (SUVmax = 2.70 ± 0.62 and SUVmax = 2.54 ± 0.44, respectively, p < 0.042). Conversely, the non-calcified segments displayed significantly lower 18F-NaF uptake than the calcified segments (SUVmax = 1.90 ± 0.37 and 2.09 ± 0.24, respectively, p < 0.0001). The 6-month supplementation with HP-EVOO induced a significant reduction in 18F-FDG uptake in both the non-calcified (2.93 ± 0.23 to 2.75 ± 0.38, p < 0.004) and calcified segments of the aortas (2.25 ± 0.29 to 2.15 ± 0.19, p < 0.02). 18F-NaF uptake was also significantly lower in patients supplemented with HP-EVOO (SUVmax = 1.98 ± 0.33 at baseline compared to 1.85 ± 0.28, after the 6-month supplementation, p < 0.004), whereas no significant effect was observed with EVOO. Conversely, participants supplemented with ROO displayed a significant increase in 18F-NaF uptake (SUVmax = 1.78 ± 0.34 to 1.95 ± 0.34, p < 0.0001). The present study confirmed that a phenolic-compound-rich diet reduces both arterial inflammation and atherosclerotic lesion microcalcification and demonstrated that 18F-FDG/18F-NaF-PET/CT imaging is a valuable approach for assessing age-related arterial damage.

Computationally Modelling Cholesterol Metabolism and Atherosclerosis

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death globally. The underlying pathological driver of CVD is atherosclerosis. The primary risk factor for atherosclerosis is elevated low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C). Dysregulation of cholesterol metabolism is synonymous with a rise in LDL-C. Due to the complexity of cholesterol metabolism and atherosclerosis mathematical models are routinely used to explore their non-trivial dynamics. Mathematical modelling has generated a wealth of useful biological insights, which have deepened our understanding of these processes. To date however, no model has been developed which fully captures how whole-body cholesterol metabolism intersects with atherosclerosis. The main reason for this is one of scale. Whole body cholesterol metabolism is defined by macroscale physiological processes, while atherosclerosis operates mainly at a microscale. This work describes how a model of cholesterol metabolism was combined with a model of atherosclerotic plaque formation. This new model is capable of reproducing the output from its parent models. Using the new model, we demonstrate how this system can be utilized to identify interventions that lower LDL-C and abrogate plaque formation.