Department of Food and Experimental Nutrition, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil.
J Nutr Biochem. 2012 Jun;23(6):557-66. doi: 10.1016/j.jnutbio.2011.02.012. Epub 2011 Jul 20.
Propolis is a polyphenol-rich resinous substance extensively used to improve health and prevent diseases. The effects of polyphenols from different sources of propolis on atherosclerotic lesions and inflammatory and angiogenic factors were investigated in LDL receptor gene (LDLr-/-) knockout mice. The animals received a cholesterol-enriched diet to induce the initial atherosclerotic lesions (IALs) or advanced atherosclerotic lesions (AALs). The IAL or AAL animals were divided into three groups, each receiving polyphenols from either the green, red or brown propolis (250 mg/kg per day) by gavage. After 4 weeks of polyphenol treatment, the animals were sacrificed and their blood was collected for lipid profile analysis. The atheromatous lesions at the aortic root were also analyzed for gene expression of inflammatory and angiogenic factors by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction and immunohistochemistry. All three polyphenol extracts improved the lipid profile and decreased the atherosclerotic lesion area in IAL animals. However, only polyphenols from the red propolis induced favorable changes in the lipid profiles and reduced the lesion areas in AAL mice. In IAL groups, VCAM, MCP-1, FGF, PDGF, VEGF, PECAM and MMP-9 gene expression was down-regulated, while the metalloproteinase inhibitor TIMP-1 gene was up-regulated by all polyphenol extracts. In contrast, for advanced lesions, only the polyphenols from red propolis induced the down-regulation of CD36 and the up-regulation of HO-1 and TIMP-1 when compared to polyphenols from the other two types of propolis. In conclusion, polyphenols from propolis, particularly red propolis, are able to reduce atherosclerotic lesions through mechanisms including the modulation of inflammatory and angiogenic factors.
蜂胶是一种多酚含量丰富的树脂状物质，广泛用于改善健康和预防疾病。本研究旨在探讨不同来源的蜂胶多酚对载脂蛋白 E 基因敲除（ApoE-/-）小鼠动脉粥样硬化病变及炎症和血管生成因子的影响。动物给予富含胆固醇的饮食以诱导初始动脉粥样硬化病变（IAL）或进展性动脉粥样硬化病变（AAL）。IAL 或 AAL 动物随机分为 3 组，每组通过灌胃给予绿蜂胶、红蜂胶或棕蜂胶多酚（250mg/kg/天）。多酚处理 4 周后，处死动物并采集血液进行血脂分析。还通过定量实时聚合酶链反应和免疫组织化学分析主动脉根部粥样硬化病变中炎症和血管生成因子的基因表达。三种蜂胶多酚提取物均改善了 IAL 动物的血脂谱并减少了动脉粥样硬化病变面积。然而，只有红蜂胶多酚诱导了 AAL 小鼠血脂谱的有利变化并减少了病变面积。在 IAL 组中，VCAM、MCP-1、FGF、PDGF、VEGF、PECAM 和 MMP-9 基因表达下调，而所有蜂胶多酚提取物均上调 TIMP-1 基因表达。相反，对于进展性病变，只有红蜂胶多酚诱导 CD36 下调和 HO-1 和 TIMP-1 上调，而其他两种类型的蜂胶多酚无此作用。综上所述，蜂胶多酚，特别是红蜂胶多酚，通过调节炎症和血管生成因子，减少动脉粥样硬化病变。
