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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Little Rock, Arkansas » Microbiome and Metabolism Research Unit » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #270374
Title: Lowbush blueberries inhibit scavenger receptors CD36 and SR-A expression and attenuate foam cell formation in ApoE-deficient mice

Author
item XIE, CHENGHUI - Arkansas Children'S Nutrition Research Center (ACNC)
item KANG, JIE - Arkansas Children'S Nutrition Research Center (ACNC)
item CHEN, JINRAN - Arkansas Children'S Nutrition Research Center (ACNC)
item LAZARENKO, OXANA - Arkansas Children'S Nutrition Research Center (ACNC)
item FERGUSON, MATTHEW - Arkansas Children'S Nutrition Research Center (ACNC)
item Badger, Thomas - Arkansas Children'S Nutrition Research Center (ACNC)
item NAGARAJAN, SHANMUGAM - Arkansas Children'S Nutrition Research Center (ACNC)
item WU, XIANLI - Arkansas Children'S Nutrition Research Center (ACNC)

Submitted to: Food & Function
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 8/25/2011
Publication Date: 10/15/2011
Citation: Xie, C., Kang, J., Chen, J., Lazarenko, O.P., Ferguson, M.E., Badger, T.M., Nagarajan, S., Wu, X. 2011. Lowbush blueberries inhibit scavenger receptors CD36 and SR-A expression and attenuate foam cell formation in ApoE-deficient mice. Food and Function. 2(10):588-594.

Interpretive Summary: Blueberries have recently been reported to reduce atherosclerotic lesion progression in apoE deficient (apoE-/-) mice. However, the underlying mechanisms are not fully understood. The objective of this study was to determine whether blueberries altered scavenger receptors expression and foam cell formation in apoE-/- mice. ApoE-/- mice were fed AIN-93 diet (CD) or CD formulated to contain 1% freeze-dried blueberries (BB) for 20 or 5 weeks. BB inhibited expression of the two major scavenger receptors CD36 and SR-A in PM of apoE-/- mice, at least in part through down-regulating PPAR gamma and reducing its endogenous ligands HODEs and HETEs. We proposed that BB mediated inhibition of scavenger receptor expression and attenuation of oxLDL-induced foam cell formation in PM of apoE-/- mice are important mechanisms of the athero-protective effects of BB.

Technical Abstract: Blueberries have recently been reported to reduce atherosclerotic lesion progression in apoE deficient (apoE-/-) mice. However, the underlying mechanisms are not fully understood. The objective of this study was to determine whether blueberries altered scavenger receptors expression and foam cell formation in apoE-/- mice. ApoE-/- mice were fed AIN-93 diet (CD) or CD formulated to contain 1% freeze-dried blueberries (BB) for 20 weeks. Gene expression and protein levels of scavenger receptor CD36 and SR-A in aorta and thioglycollate-elicited peritoneal macrophages (PM) were lower in mice fed BB (P < 0.05). In the second experiment, apoE-/- mice were fed CD or BB for 5 weeks. PM were collected and cultured. Gene expression and protein levels and of CD36 and SR-A were found to be lower in PM of BB fed mice (P < 0.05). In PM from BB fed mice, fewer oxLDL-induced foam cells were formed compared to those from mice fed CD. Gene expression and protein levels of PPAR gamma were lower in the PM of BB fed mice (P < 0.05). Detectable isomers of hydroxyoctadecadienoic acids (HODEs) and hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid (HETEs) were also lower in the PM of BB fed mice (P < 0.05). In conclusion, BB inhibited expression of the two major scavenger receptors CD36 and SR-A in PM of apoE-/- mice, at least in part through down-regulating PPAR gamma and reducing its endogenous ligands HODEs and HETEs. We proposed that BB mediated inhibition of scavenger receptor expression and attenuation of oxLDL-induced foam cell formation in PM of apoE-/- mice are important mechanisms of the athero-protective effects of BB.