Phthalides, senkyunolide A and ligustilide, show immunomodulatory effect in improving atherosclerosis, through inhibiting AP-1 and NF-κB expression

Atherosclerosis is initiated by the local inflammation response to lipid deposition, and the most commonly administered antiatherogenic drugs are statins. Based on traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) evidence, we aimed to find effective therapeutic agents other than statins. A TCM, Suxiao Jiuxin Pill (SX), has been widely used in curing cardiovascular diseases for thirty years. In this paper, a combination of pharmacologic studies and RNA-Seq transcriptomics were employed to explore the pharmacodynamic advantages of SX over atorvastatin in the ApoE−/− mouse. 113 differentially expressed genes that were modulated by SX to a greater degree than atorvastatin were primarily involved in immunomodulation. The expression of BTK, AKT1, c-jun and CD137 was effectively regulated by SX with better effect than atorvastatin. Then a dual-luciferase reporter assay for NF-κB inhibition was applied to identify active components in SX. As a result, Senkyunolide A (Sen A) and Ligustilide (Lig), the key immunomodulatory ingredients in SX, were found to inhibit the expression of CD137 which is a diagnostic biomarker in atherosclerosis. It was further confirmed that Lig effectively suppressed the expression of AP-1 and NF-κB and the phosphorylation of AKT. Therefore, Lig achieved its CD137 inhibition through suppressing the expression of AP-1 and AKT/NF-κB signaling pathway, which partly explains the immunomodulation of SX in atherosclerosis. Above all, phthalides may be the primary components of SX improving immune and inflammation response in atherosclerosis.