Delphinidin-3- <i>O</i> -glucoside, an active compound of <i>Hibiscus sabdariffa</i> calyces, inhibits oxidative stress and inflammation in rabbits with atherosclerosis
Bo Sun, Fangda Li, Xu Zhang, Wei Wang, Jiang Shao, Yuehong Zheng
Abstract
CONTEXT: L. (Malvaceae) (Roselle) calyces and exerts endothelial protection and lipid-lowering activities, which provided a basis for the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular diseases. OBJECTIVES: To investigate the therapeutic effects of DP against atherosclerosis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A rabbit model of atherosclerosis (AS) was established by 12 weeks of a high-fat diet (HFD). The rabbits were divided into five groups: control, AS, simvastatin (4 mg/kg), and two DP groups (10 and 20 mg/kg). After treatment with DP or simvastatin by oral gavage for 12 weeks, the lipid profiles were measured. Histopathological assessment of the aorta was performed by H&E staining. Oxidative stress and inflammation-related markers were analyzed by ELISA kit and real-time RT-PCR. RESULTS: < 0.05). DP (20 mg/kg) also reduced lipid levels in the liver and aorta. DP (20 mg/kg) down-regulated the mRNA levels of IL-6, VCAM-1, and NF-κB and up-regulated the mRNA levels of GSH-PX and SOD1. CONCLUSIONS: This study proved that DP alleviated the HFD-induced oxidative stress and inflammation in atherosclerosis rabbits. These results provided the scientific basis for developing novel therapies.