The effect of apiaceous vegetables on acrolein-related cardiovascular disease models
Date
2025
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Publisher
University of Delaware
Abstract
Atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ACVD) is the leading cause of death worldwide, affecting 26 million adults in the United States. ACVD is characterized by lipid plaque buildup within the arterial wall and comprises conditions such as coronary heart disease, heart attack, and stroke. Risk factors for ACVD include unhealthy diet, lipid dysregulation, hypertension, and smoking. Acrolein (ACR), a reactive aldehyde present in cigarette smoke, damages DNA and proteins, contributing to inflammation and endothelial dysfunction—both central to ACVD. Since smoking cessation has low success rates (10%), dietary interventions may offer a more viable risk reduction strategy. ☐ Apiaceous vegetables (API) have been used for centuries in traditional medicine and show potential for reducing inflammation, hyperlipidemia, and endothelial dysfunction. This dissertation examines API’s effects on ACR-related cardiovascular disease in vivo and in vitro. ☐ The first aim examined the effect of fresh celery and parsnip consumption on ACVD markers in ApoE-/- mice exposed to ACR. Thirty-three 12-week-old male and female mice were allocated to one of four groups: genetic control (GEN), ACR-only (ACR), and ACR groups with diets containing 21% or 42% API. ACR groups received intranasal ACR for four weeks. Mice in the GEN group received saline intranasally, while mice in the ACR and ACR + API groups received 0.5 mg/kg ACR intranasally for 4 weeks. Aortas, livers, and plasma were harvested at the conclusion of the intervention for analysis and showed API mitigated ACR-induced decreases in liver detoxification enzymes (GSTs), reduced triglyceride synthesis protein (SREBP-1), and modulated plasma cytokines, favoring an anti-inflammatory profile. ☐ The second aim evaluated the effect of 80% methanolic extract of fresh celery and parsnip on ACR-exposed human aortic endothelial cells (HAECs). HAECs were allocated into four groups: negative control group (NEG) which received saline only, positive control group (POS) which received 0.4 mM hydrogen peroxide, acrolein group (ACR) which received 30 μM ACR for 2 hours, and API group (API) which received 200 μg/mL API extract for 24 hours followed by 30 μM ACR for 2 hours. Exposure was performed three separate times with three dishes per group, and protein was extracted for analysis. Western blotting showed no significant changes in endothelial dysfunction or inflammasome-related proteins. ☐ The findings suggest that API may counteract ACR-induced inflammation and detoxification impairments in mice. Future studies using optimized ACR exposure conditions could clarify API’s role in ACR-induced ACVD.
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Keywords
Atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, Lipid dysregulation, Inflammasome-related proteins