Apigenin prevents abdominal aortic aneurysms formation by inhibiting the NF-κB signalling pathway. - GreenMedInfo Summary
Apigenin prevent Abdominal Aortic Aneurysms Formation by Inhibiting the NF-κB Signaling Pathway.
J Cardiovasc Pharmacol. 2019 Dec 6. Epub 2019 Dec 6. PMID: 31821190
Dongyu Li
Abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAA) is a multifactorial vascular disease with a high rate of mortality and brings heavy burden to both human and society. The pathological process behind AAA is complex. Elastin degradation, chronic inflammation and vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) phenotypic modulation are involved in AAA formation. Apigenin (API) has gained much attention due to its specific properties, such as anti-inflammation, antioxidant, anti-cancer effects. Previous studies have demonstrated that API exert beneficial effects on prevention of cardiovascular diseases(CVD). However, the effects of API on AAA are still unknown. Here, we for the first time evaluated API-related effects on AAA formation using a Cacl2-induced AAA model. Compared with AAA group, treatment with API reduced the incidence of AAA, attenuated pathological expansion of the aorta and preserved elastic fiber in a dose-dependent manner. Additionally, API attenuated vascular inflammation by inhibiting activation of matrix metalloproteinase(MMP) and modulated VSMC contractile phenotypic transition. The preventative effect of API on AAA might be associated to the down-regulation of nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) activity via the IKK-dependent signaling pathway. Our findings firstly revealed that API could suppress AAA formation in a dose-dependent manner by inhibiting the NF-κB signaling pathway and API should be considered as a promising therapeutic drug in prevention of AAA.