2. Academic Validation
  3. Bisdemethoxycurcumin suppresses the progression of atherosclerosis and VSMC-derived foam cell formation by promoting lipophagy

Bisdemethoxycurcumin suppresses the progression of atherosclerosis and VSMC-derived foam cell formation by promoting lipophagy

  • Naunyn Schmiedebergs Arch Pharmacol. 2023 Jun 8. doi: 10.1007/s00210-023-02558-7.
Jiangwei Zuo 1,  Sien Guo 1,  Xiao Qin 2
Affiliations

Affiliations

  • 1 Department of Vascular surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, 530021, China.
  • 2 Department of Vascular surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, 530021, China. dr_qinxiao@163.com.
PMID: 37289282 DOI: 10.1007/s00210-023-02558-7
Abstract

Vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) are one of the sources of foam cells in atherosclerosis. However, the mechanism of VSMC-derived foam cell formation remain largely unknown. Bisdemethoxycurcumin (BDMC) is considered to possess diverse pharmacological properties, including anti-inflammation and anti-oxidation. However, the effects of BDMC on atherosclerosis remain unclear. Here, we established an in vitro foam cell model by culturing VSMCs with oxidized low-density lipoprotein (ox-LDL). The results show that BDMC reduced lipid droplets in ox-LDL-stimulated VSMCs. In addition, BDMC promotes Autophagy by suppressing PDK1/Akt/mTOR signaling pathway. In vivo, BDMC alleviates inflammatory responses and lipid accumulation in in apoe-/- mice. Above all, the results from the present study suggested that BDMC may be used as a therapeutic agent for the prevention and treatment of atherosclerosis.

Keywords

Atherosclerosis; Autophagy; Bisdemethoxycurcumin; PDK1; VSMCs.

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