Examination of Large Artery Atherosclerosis could Reveal Small Artery Retinopathy in Untreated Middle-Aged Individuals

Association between total bilirubin and gender-specific incidence of fundus arteriosclerosis in a Chinese population: a retrospective cohort study

To investigate the gender-specific relationship between total bilirubin (TBIL) and fundus arteriosclerosis in the general population, and to explore whether there is a dose-response relationship between them. In a retrospective cohort study, 27,477 participants were enrolled from 2006 to 2019. The TBIL was divided into four groups according to the quartile. The Cox proportional hazards model was used to estimate the HRs with 95% CIs of different TBIL level and fundus arteriosclerosis in men and women. The dose-response relationship between TBIL and fundus arteriosclerosis was estimated using restricted cubic splines method. In males, after adjusting for potential confounders, the Q2 to Q4 level of TBIL were significantly associated with the risk of fundus arteriosclerosis. The HRs with 95% CIs were 1.217 (1.095-1.354), 1.255 (1.128-1.396) and 1.396 (1.254-1.555), respectively. For females, TBIL level was not associated with the incidence of fundus arteriosclerosis. In addition, a linear relationship between TBIL and fundus arteriosclerosis in both genders (P < 0.0001 and P = 0.0047, respectively). In conclusion, the incidence of fundus arteriosclerosis is positively correlated with serum TBIL level in males, but not in females. In addition, there was a linear dose-response relationship between TBIL and incidence of fundus arteriosclerosis.

Dietary astaxanthin-rich extract ameliorates atherosclerosis/retinopathy and restructures gut microbiome in apolipoprotein E-deficient mice fed on a high-fat diet

Scope: Atherosclerosis (AS) is the leading cause of ischemic disease. However, the anti-AS effects of astaxanthin and its potential mechanisms remain unclear. This study is aimed to investigate the function of astaxanthin-rich extract (ASTE) on AS and gut microbiota as well as the difference from atorvastatin (ATO) in apolipoprotein E-deficient (ApoE^-/-) mice. Methods and results: Wild type (WT) and ApoE^-/- mice were divided into seven groups: the low-fat diet (LFD) and high-fat diet (HFD) groups (in both types) as well as three ApoE^-/- groups based on HFD added with two doses of ASTE and one dose of ATO, respectively. After 30 weeks of intervention, results showed that ASTE significantly inhibited body weight increase, lipids accumulation in serum/liver, and AS-lesions in the aorta. Furthermore, fundus fluorescein angiography and retinal CD31 immunohistochemical staining showed that ASTE could alleviate the occurrence of AS-retinopathy. H&E staining showed that ASTE could protect the colon's mucosal epithelium from damage. The gas chromatographic and gene expression analyses showed that ASTE promoted the excretion of fecal acidic and neutral sterols from cholesterol by increasing LXRα, CYP7A1, and ABCG5/8 and decreasing FXR, NPC1L1, ACAT2, and MTTP expressions. Remarkably, the ASTE administration maintained the gut barrier by enhancing gene expression of JAM-A, Occludin, and mucin2 in the colon and reshaped gut microbiota with the feature of blooming Akkermansia. Conclusion: Our results suggested that ASTE could prevent AS in both macrovascular and/or microvascular as well as used as novel prebiotics by supporting the bile acid excretion and growth of Akkermansia.

Effect of Ginsenoside Rh1 on Proliferation, Apoptosis, and Oxidative Stress in Vascular Endothelial Cells by Regulation of the Nuclear Erythroid 2-related Factor-2/Heme Oxygenase-1 Signaling Pathway

ABSTRACT

This study aimed to investigate the role of ginsenoside Rh1 in regulating the proliferation, apoptosis, and oxidative stress in oxidized low-density lipoprotein (ox-LDL)-treated human vascular endothelial cells (VECs) and the underlying mechanisms. VECs were treated with ox-LDL to generate an in vitro atherosclerosis model. The effect of ginsenoside Rh1 on cell viability and proliferation was examined by MTT and colony formation assays, respectively, and cell apoptosis was determined by flow cytometry and transferase dUTP nick end-labeling assay. The levels of reactive oxygen species, malondialdehyde, and superoxide dismutase activity were detected using biological assays. Finally, the effect of ginsenoside Rh1 on the levels of BAX and BCL-2 and the nuclear erythroid 2-related factor-2/heme oxygenase (HO)-1 signaling pathway was determined by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction and western blot assays. Treatment with ginsenoside Rh1 significantly increased the proliferation and decreased the apoptosis of ox-LDL-treated VECs in a dose-dependent manner. Moreover, ginsenoside Rh1 also relieved oxidative stress in ox-LDL-treated VECs by activating the Nrf2/HO-1 signaling pathway. Thus, ginsenoside Rh1 affects the proliferation, apoptosis, and oxidative stress in ox-LDL-treated VECs by activating the Nrf2/HO-1 signaling pathway.