Purified Polysaccharide Component (PCP1) Ameliorates Atherosclerosis in ApoE Knockout Mice by Inhibiting Macrophage Lipid Accumulation and Inflammation

Atherosclerosis, a prevalent chronic inflammatory arterial disease, is characterized by endothelial dysfunction and lipid deposition, posing a significant threat to cardiovascular health. Traditional food-medicine plants have garnered increasing attention for their potential therapeutic and health-promoting properties. In this study, we isolated a purified polysaccharide component (PCP1) from Polygonatum cyrtonema Hua, a plant with a long history of use in traditional Chinese medicine and as a functional food, collected from Jiuhua Mountain, Anhui Province. Despite its traditional use, the anti-atherosclerotic activity of PCP1 has not been previously explored. Our investigation aimed to elucidate the protective effects and underlying mechanisms of PCP1 against atherosclerosis. In vitro macrophage model experiments revealed that PCP1 possesses dual functionalities: lipid-lowering and anti-inflammatory actions. Specifically, PCP1 reduced lipid uptake and foam cell formation by downregulating the expression of CD36 and MSR1, while inhibiting macrophage inflammation via modulation of the TLR4/NF-κB signaling pathway. Additionally, PCP1 mitigated the overactivation of aortic endothelial cells and suppressed inflammatory responses in smooth muscle cells. These in vitro findings were further corroborated in vivo, where PCP1 significantly ameliorated high-fat diet-induced atherosclerosis in ApoE-/- mice. Collectively, our results underscore the potential of PCP1 as a promising therapeutic agent and functional food ingredient for the prevention and management of atherosclerosis, highlighting its dual role in lipid regulation and inflammation mitigation.