Lee Min-Ja, Lee Hye-Sook, Park Sun-Dong, Moon Hyung-In, Park Won-Hwan
Department of Diagnostics and Cardiovascular Medical Research Center, College of Oriental Medicine, Dongguk University, Gyeong-Ju, Gyeongbuk, Republic of Korea.
Biosci Biotechnol Biochem. 2010;74(2):279-84. doi: 10.1271/bbb.90582. Epub 2010 Feb 7.
In Leonurus sibiricus herb extract (LHE)-supplemented animals, plasma cholesterol decreased and high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol increased, resulting in a lowered atherogenic index. The plasma trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity, levels of hepatic thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances, and protein carbonyl values decreased significantly in LHE-supplemented mice (p<0.05), whereas the hepatic antioxidant indicators were all significantly elevated (p<0.05). In human umbilical vein endothelial cells stimulated with tumor necrosis factor alpha, LHE significantly suppressed intracellular reactive oxygen species, LOX-1, and adhesion molecules. LHE supplementation may modulate the lipoprotein composition and attenuate oxidative stress by elevated antioxidant processes, thus suppressing the activation of inflammatory mediators. This is a possible mechanism of the anti-atherogenic effect.