Parthenolide Modulates the NF-κB–Mediated Inflammatory Responses in Experimental Atherosclerosis

Objective— Activation of transcription factor NF-κB is an important step in the development of vascular damage, because it controls inducible genes, including many inflammatory mediators. The pharmacological modulation of this process is the main objective in the design of new therapies for atherosclerosis. In this work we analyzed the effects of the natural compound parthenolide (PTN), an NF-κB inhibitor.

Methods and Results— In vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) and monocytes stimulated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS), nontoxic doses of PTN reduced IκBα degradation, NF-κB activation, and MCP-1 expression, without inhibiting AP-1 and MAPK. In apoE mice, treatment with low (2 mg/kg, 20 weeks), medium (4 mg/kg, 10 weeks), and high (10 mg/kg, 10 weeks) dose of PTN reduced the size of aortic lesion, decreased macrophage, and increased VSMC content in the lesions. Treated mice showed reduced serum levels of MCP-1 and attenuated NF-κB activity, but not AP-1, in the lesions. Moreover, PTN affects neither apoptotic cell death nor oxidative stress in cultured cells and mice.

Conclusion— NF-κB inhibition by PTN retards atherosclerotic lesions in apoE mice, by reducing lesion size and changing plaque composition. This natural compound could represent a novel therapeutic approach to inflammation during vascular damage