High-risk periodontal pathogens contribute to the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis

Outer membrane vesicle-mediated serum protection in Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans

Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans belongs to the HACEK group of fastidious Gram-negative organisms, a recognized cause of infective endocarditis. A. actinomycetemcomitans is also implicated in periodontitis, with rapid progress in adolescents. We recently demonstrated that the major outer membrane protein, OmpA1 was critical for serum survival of the A. actinomycetemcomitans serotype a model strain, D7SS, and that the paralogue, OmpA2 could operate as a functional homologue to OmpA1 in mediating serum resistance. In the present work, an essentially serum-sensitive ompA1 ompA2 double mutant A. actinomycetemcomitans strain derivative was exploited to elucidate if A. actinomycetemcomitans OMVs can contribute to bacterial serum resistance. Indeed, supplementation of OMVs resulted in a dose-dependent increase of the survival of the serum-sensitive strain in incubations in 50% normal human serum (NHS). Whereas neither OmpA1 nor OmpA2 was required for the OMV-mediated serum protection, OMVs and LPS from an A. actinomycetemcomitans strain lacking the LPS O-antigen polysaccharide part were significantly impaired in protecting D7SS ompA1 ompA2. Our results using a complement system screen assay support a model where A. actinomycetemcomitans OMVs can act as a decoy, which can trigger complement activation in an LPS-dependent manner, and consume complement components to protect serum-susceptible bacterial cells.

Porphyromonas gingivalis, Periodontal and Systemic Implications: A Systematic Review

In recent scientific literature, oral infections and systemic manifestations, or correlations between oral health and systemic diseases are a topic of discussion. Porphyromonas gingivalis is one of the bacteria implicated in the biofilm formation of bacterial plaque, and plays an important role in the progression of periodontal disease. In this systematic review authors have evaluated the literature of the last 10 years on P. gingivalis and all the systemic implications proven. This study therefore evaluates all the districts of the organism in which this bacterium may have implications. From the results it emerges that P. gingivalis has implications in the onset of different systemic pathologies, including rheumatoid arthritis, cardiovascular pathologies, and neurodegenerative pathologies. Surely, understanding the mechanisms of diffusion of this bacterium, it would be possible to prevent a series of pathologies. Thus, putting the dentist clinician at the center of prevention for these diseases.

Calibrated interdental brushing for the prevention of periodontal pathogens infection in young adults - a randomized controlled clinical trial

Periodontal disease is clearly correlated with systemic disease. The presence of periodontal pathogens in interdental spaces in young, healthy adults is a strong indicator of the need to introduce daily interdental prophylaxis. Twenty-five subjects (aged 18–35 years), diagnosticated clinically as periodontally healthy, were enrolled in this study. One hundred interdental sites were included. Among these sites, 50 “test” sites were cleaned daily with calibrated interdental brushes (IDBs), whereas the other 50 sites were not cleaned and considered “controls”. The interdental biofilm at these interdental sites was collected at the beginning of the study (basal) and at 1 week, 2 weeks, 3 weeks, 4 weeks, and 3 months. Real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) methodology was used to quantify (i) 19 periodontal bacteria, including Porphyromonas gingivalis, Treponema denticola, and Tannerella forsythia, and (ii) total bacteria. In the test sites, the quantity of total bacteria decreased over time with the use of IDBs. The bacteria from the red and orange Socransky complexes, which are associated with periodontal disease, significantly decreased in the test sites but not in the control sites. Bacteria from the yellow, and purple Socransky complexes, which are associated with periodontal health, increased significantly in both groups whereas bacteria from the blue Socransky complex increased significantly only in the test sites. Furthermore, at basal, 66% of test sites and 68% of control sites bled during interdental brushing. These percentages decreased by 85% in 3 months for the test sites and by 27% in the control sites. In conclusion, the daily use of calibrated IDBs can reduce periodontal pathogens, reestablish symbiotic microbiota and, decrease interdental inflammation in interdental sites of healthy young adults.

Association between Alzheimer's Disease and Oral and Gut Microbiota: Are Pore Forming Proteins the Missing Link?

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative condition affecting millions of people worldwide. It is associated with cerebral amyloid-β (Aβ) plaque deposition in the brain, synaptic disconnection, and subsequent progressive neuronal death. Although considerable progress has been made to elucidate the pathogenesis of AD, the specific causes of the disease remain highly unknown. Recent research has suggested a potential association between certain infectious diseases and dementia, either directly due to bacterial brain invasion and toxin production, or indirectly by modulating the immune response. Therefore, in the present review we focus on the emerging issues of bacterial infection and AD, including the existence of antimicrobial peptides having pore-forming properties that act in a similar way to pores formed by Aβ in a variety of cell membranes. Special focus is placed on oral bacteria and biofilms, and on the potential mechanisms associating bacterial infection and toxin production in AD. The role of bacterial outer membrane vesicles on the transport and delivery of toxins as well as porins to the brain is also discussed. Aβ has shown to possess antimicrobial activity against several bacteria, and therefore could be upregulated as a response to bacteria and bacterial toxins in the brain. Although further research is needed, we believe that the control of biofilm-mediated diseases could be an important potential prevention mechanism for AD development.

Chronic Inflammation as a Link between Periodontitis and Carcinogenesis

Periodontitis is characterized by a chronic inflammation produced in response to a disease-associated multispecies bacterial community in the subgingival region. Although the inflammatory processes occur locally in the oral cavity, several studies have determined that inflammatory mediators produced during periodontitis, as well as subgingival species and bacterial components, can disseminate from the oral cavity, contributing therefore, to various extraoral diseases like cancer. Interestingly, carcinogenesis associated with periodontal species has been observed in both the oral cavity and in extra oral sites. In this review, several studies were summarized showing a strong association between orodigestive cancers and poor oral health, presence of periodontitis-associated bacteria, tooth loss, and clinical signs of periodontitis. Proinflammatory pathways were also summarized. Such pathways are activated either by mono- or polymicrobial infections, resulting in an increase in the expression of proinflammatory molecules such as IL-6, IL-8, IL-1β, and TNF-α. In addition, it has been shown that several periodontitis-associated species induce the expression of genes related to cell proliferation, cell cycle, apoptosis, transport, and immune and inflammatory responses. Intriguingly, many of these pathways are linked to carcinogenesis. Among them, the activation of Toll-like receptors (TLRs) and antiapoptotic pathways (such as the PI3K/Akt, JAK/STAT, and MAPK pathways), the reduction of proapoptotic protein expression, the increase in cell migration and invasion, and the enhancement in metastasis are addressed. Considering that periodontitis is a polymicrobial disease, it is likely that mixed species promote carcinogenesis both in the oral cavity and in extra oral tissues and probably—as observed in periodontitis—synergistic and/or antagonistic interactions occur between microbes in the community. To date, a good amount of studies has allowed us to understand how monospecies infections activate pathways involved in tumorigenesis; however, more studies are needed to determine the combined effect of oral species in carcinogenesis.

In Defense of Dental Therapy: An Evidence-Based Workforce Approach to Improving Access to Care

This article addresses new systems and practice models in community-based dentistry. Its purpose is twofold: to identify strategies and policies that support health equity and access to care; and to identify promising efforts that serve as new models for change in the dental workforce. Dental therapy meets both of these purposes and is the major focus of this article. The fundamental premises explored are threefold. First, the dental care system in the U.S. is broken for many people who then suffer the consequences of poor oral health; this is especially true for racial and ethnic minorities and lower income populations. Second, dental therapy is a proven, safe, high-quality, cost-effective, and ethical way to improve access to oral health care and oral health in general. Third, opposition to dental therapy comes only from the leadership of organized dentistry and is without an evidence base to support objections and criticism. This article reviews each of these three premises in detail. Based on this review, the article concludes that dental therapy is a safe, high-quality, effective, and ethical approach to improve the oral health workforce, increase access to dental care, and achieve oral health equity.

Role of OmpA1 and OmpA2 in Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans and Aggregatibacter aphrophilus serum resistance

Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans and Aggregatibacter aphrophilus belong to the HACEK group of fastidious Gram-negative organisms, a recognized cause of infective endocarditis. A. actinomycetemcomitans is also implicated in aggressive forms of periodontitis. We demonstrated that A. aphrophilus strains, as A. actinomycetemcomitans are ubiquitously serum resistant. Both species encode two Outer membrane protein A paralogues, here denoted OmpA1 and OmpA2. As their respective pangenomes contain several OmpA1 and OmpA2 alleles, they represent potential genotypic markers. A naturally competent strain of A. actinomycetemcomitans and A. aphrophilus, respectively were used to elucidate if OmpA1 and OmpA2 contribute to serum resistance. Whereas OmpA1 was critical for survival of A. actinomycetemcomitans D7SS in 50% normal human serum (NHS), serum resistant ompA1 mutants were fortuitously obtained, expressing enhanced levels of OmpA2. Similarly, OmpA1 rather than OmpA2 was a major contributor to serum resistance of A. aphrophilus HK83. Far-Western blot revealed that OmpA1^AA, OmpA2^AA, and OmpA1^AP can bind to C4-binding protein, an inhibitor of classical and mannose-binding lectin (MBL) complement activation. Indeed, ompA1 mutants were susceptible to these pathways, but also to alternative complement activation. This may at least partly reflect a compromised outer membrane integrity but is also consistent with alternative mechanisms involved in OmpA-mediated serum resistance.

Precision Healthcare of Type 2 Diabetic Patients Through Implementation of Haptoglobin Genotyping

It is well-recognized that there is a need for medicine to migrate to a platform of delivering preventative care based on an individual's genetic make-up. The US National Research Council, the National Institute of Health and the American Heart Association all support the concept of utilizing genomic information to enhance the clinical management of patients. It is believed this type of precision healthcare will revolutionize health management. This current attitude of some of the most respected institutes in healthcare sets the stage for the utilization of the haptoglobin (Hp) genotype to guide precision management in type 2 diabetics (DM). There are three main Hp genotypes: 1-1, 2-1, 2-2. The Hp genotype has been studied extensively in (DM) and from the accumulated data it is clear that Hp should be considered in all DM patients as an additional independent cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factor. In DM patients Hp2-2 generates five times increased risk of CVD compared to Hp1-1 and three times increased risk compared to Hp2-1. Data has also shown that carrying the Hp2-2 gene in DM compared to carrying an Hp1-1 genotype can increase the risk the microvascular complications of nephropathy and retinopathy. In addition, the Hp2-2 gene enhances post percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) complications such as, in stent restenosis and need for additional revascularization during the first-year post PCI. Studies have demonstrated significant mitigation of CVD risk in Hp2-2 DM patients with administration of vitamin E and maintaining tight glycemic control. CVD is the leading cause of death and disability in DM as well-representing a huge financial burden. As such, evaluating the Hp genotype in DM patients can enhance the predictability and management of CVD risk.

Structure of the LPS O-chain from Fusobacterium nucleatum strain ATCC 23726 containing a novel 5,7-diamino-3,5,7,9-tetradeoxy-l-gluco-non-2-ulosonic acid presumably having the d-glycero-l-gluco configuration

Fusobacterium nucleatum is an anaerobic bacterium found in the human mouth where it causes periodontitis. It was also found in colorectal cancer tissues and is linked with pregnancy complications, including pre-term and still births. Cell surface structures of the bacterium could be implicated in pathogenesis. Here we report the following structure of the lipopolysaccharide O-chain of a spontaneous streptomycin resistant (SmR) mutant of F. nucleatum strain ATCC 23726: -4-β-Non5Am7Ac-4-β-d-GlcNAcyl3NFoAN-3-β-d-FucNAc4N- where GlcNAcyl3NFoAN indicates 2,3-diamino-2,3-dideoxyglucuronic acid amide with Fo at N-3 being formyl and Acyl at N-2 being propanoyl (∼70%) or butanoyl (∼30%); Non5Am7Ac indicates 7-acetamido-5-acetimidoylamino-3,5,7,9-tetradeoxy-l-gluco-non-2-ulosonic acid presumably having the d-glycero-l-gluco configuration. To our knowledge, no l-gluco isomer of higher sugars of this class as well as no N-propanoyl or N-butanoyl group have so far been found in bacterial polysaccharides.

Remission of aggressive autoimmune disease (dermatomyositis) with removal of infective jaw pathology and ozone therapy: review and case report

Introduction

This case uniquely reports a connection between endodontically infected teeth and systemic disease, and additionally presents ozone therapy as a unique therapy and immune system modulator. It is the world’s first such reported case and the treatment holds invaluable lessons in assessing the “unknown” causes of autoimmunity and inflammation. Additionally, it presents ozone therapy as a most needed unique, non-toxic and powerful anti-infective agent, anti-inflammatory and immune modulator.

Case presentation

The patient was a Mexican male field laborer, age 48 years, in inflammatory crisis with a confirmed case of dermatomyositis. He had received massive prednisone, and powerful immune suppressing drugs just to function, while disease still raged. I encountered him in the field in June 2012 with severe muscle pain, weakness, and diffuse generalized skin rash, essentially unable to do his work. Creatine kinase peaked at 9293 U/L. History and physical examination findings caused suspicion of subclinical infections in endodontically treated teeth. This impression was confirmed in subsequent dental evaluation. He fully recovered after dental infections were confirmed and surgically removed, while receiving ozone therapy until all symptoms and laboratory abnormalities normalized.

Conclusion

Dental focus of occult infection may be a prime cause/trigger of autoimmune disorders and inflammatory disorders, requiring surgical intervention to remove. Ozone therapy, little known in conventional medicine, has been shown in the literature and in this case to be a powerful and safe immune modulator and anti-infective agent. This case has significant relevance across the entire spectrum of both medical and dental practice. It also emphasizes the need for individualized assessment and treatment rather than symptomatic pharmacological approaches treating a “disease” rather than the patient. Subclinical dental infection and ozone therapy are reviewed.

Citrullination as a plausible link to periodontitis, rheumatoid arthritis, atherosclerosis and Alzheimer's disease

Periodontitis, rheumatoid arthritis (RA), atherosclerosis (AS), and Alzheimer’s disease (AD) are examples of complex human diseases with chronic inflammatory components in their etiologies. The initial trigger of inflammation that progresses to these diseases remains unresolved. Porphyromonas gingivalis is unique in its ability to secrete the P. gingivalis-derived peptidyl arginine deiminase (PPAD) and consequently offers a plausible and exclusive link to these diseases through enzymatic conversion of arginine to citrulline. Citrullination is a post-translational enzymatic modification of arginine residues in proteins formed as part of normal physiological processes. However, PPAD has the potential to modify self (bacterial) and host proteins by deimination of arginine amino acid residues, preferentially at the C-terminus. Migration of P. gingivalis and/or its secreted PPAD into the bloodstream opens up the possibility that this enzyme will citrullinate proteins at disparate body sites. Citrullination is associated with the pathogenesis of multifactorial diseases such as RA and AD, which have an elusive external perpetrator as they show epidemiological associations with periodontitis. Therefore, PPAD deserves some prominence as an external antigen, in at least, a subset of RA and AD cases, with as yet unidentified, immune/genetic vulnerabilities.

Lipoprotein modifications by gingipains of Porphyromonas gingivalis

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE

Several studies have shown an association between periodontitis and cardiovascular disease (CVD). Atherosclerosis is the major cause of CVD, and a key event in the development of atherosclerosis is accumulation of lipoproteins within the arterial wall. Bacteria are the primary etiologic agents in periodontitis and Porphyromonas gingivalis is the major pathogen in the disease. Several studies support a role of modified low-density lipoprotein (LDL) in atherogenesis; however, the pathogenic stimuli that induce the changes and the mechanisms by which this occur are unknown. This study aims to identify alterations in plasma lipoproteins induced by the periodontopathic species of bacterium, P. gingivalis, in vitro.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Plasma lipoproteins were isolated from whole blood treated with wild-type and gingipain-mutant (lacking either the Rgp- or Kgp gingipains) P. gingivalis by density/gradient-ultracentrifugation and were studied using 2-dimensional gel electrophoresis followed by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry. Porphyromonas gingivalis-induced lipid peroxidation and antioxidant levels were measured by thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances and antioxidant assay kits, respectively, and lumiaggregometry was used for measurement of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and aggregation.

RESULTS

Porphyromonas gingivalis exerted substantial proteolytic effects on the lipoproteins. The Rgp gingipains were responsible for producing 2 apoE fragments, as well as 2 apoB-100 fragments, in LDL, and the Kgp gingipain produced an unidentified fragment in high-density lipoproteins. Porphyromonas gingivalis and its different gingipain variants induced ROS and consumed antioxidants. Both the Rgp and Kgp gingipains were involved in inducing lipid peroxidation.

CONCLUSION

Porphyromonas gingivalis has the potential to change the expression of lipoproteins in blood, which may represent a crucial link between periodontitis and CVD.

An unfavorable body composition is common in early arthritis patients: A case control study

BACKGROUND

An unfavorable body composition is often present in chronic arthritis patients. This unfavorable composition is a loss of muscle mass, with a stable or increased (abdominal) fat mass. Since it is unknown when this unfavorable composition develops, we compared body composition in disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARD)-naive early arthritis patients with non-arthritis controls and explored the association, in early arthritis patients, with disease activity and traditional cardiovascular risk factors.

METHODS

317 consecutive early arthritis patients (84% rheumatoid arthritis according to 2010 ACR/EULAR criteria) and 1268 age-/gender-/ethnicity-matched non-arthritis controls underwent a Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry scan to assess fat percentage, fat mass index, fat mass distribution and appendicular lean (muscle) mass index. Additionally, disease activity, health assessment questionnaire (HAQ), acute phase proteins, lipid profile and blood pressure were evaluated.

RESULTS

Loss of muscle mass (corrected for age suspected muscle mass) was 4-5 times more common in early arthritis patients, with a significantly lower mean appendicular lean mass index (females 6% and males 7% lower, p<0.01). Patients had more fat distributed to the trunk (females p<0.01, males p = 0.07) and females had a 4% higher mean fat mass index (p<0.01). An unfavorable body composition was associated with a higher blood pressure and an atherogenic lipid profile. There was no relationship with disease activity, HAQ or acute phase proteins.

CONCLUSION

Loss of muscle mass is 4-5 times more common in early arthritis patients, and is in early arthritis patients associated with a higher blood pressure and an atherogenic lipid profile. Therefore, cardiovascular risk is already increased at the clinical onset of arthritis making cardiovascular risk management necessary in early arthritis patients.

The Porphyromonas gingivalis/Host Interactome Shows Enrichment in GWASdb Genes Related to Alzheimer's Disease, Diabetes and Cardiovascular Diseases

Periodontal disease is of established etiology in which polymicrobial synergistic ecology has become dysbiotic under the influence of Porphyromonas gingivalis. Following breakdown of the host's protective oral tissue barriers, P. gingivalis migrates to developing inflammatory pathologies that associate with Alzheimer's disease (AD). Periodontal disease is a risk factor for cardiovascular disorders (CVD), type II diabetes mellitus (T2DM), AD and other chronic diseases, whilst T2DM exacerbates periodontitis. This study analyzed the relationship between the P. gingivalis/host interactome and the genes identified in genome-wide association studies (GWAS) for the aforementioned conditions using data from GWASdb (P < 1E-03) and, in some cases, from the NCBI/EBI GWAS database (P < 1E-05). Gene expression data from periodontitis or P. gingivalis microarray was compared to microarray datasets from the AD hippocampus and/or from carotid artery plaques. The results demonstrated that the host genes of the P. gingivalis interactome were significantly enriched in genes deposited in GWASdb genes related to cognitive disorders, AD and dementia, and its co-morbid conditions T2DM, obesity, and CVD. The P. gingivalis/host interactome was also enriched in GWAS genes from the more stringent NCBI-EBI database for AD, atherosclerosis and T2DM. The misregulated genes in periodontitis tissue or P. gingivalis infected macrophages also matched those in the AD hippocampus or atherosclerotic plaques. Together, these data suggest important gene/environment interactions between P. gingivalis and susceptibility genes or gene expression changes in conditions where periodontal disease is a contributory factor.

Cooperative stimulation of atherogenesis by lipopolysaccharide and palmitic acid-rich high fat diet in low-density lipoprotein receptor-deficient mice

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

Either lipopolysaccharide (LPS) or high-fat diet (HFD) enriched with saturated fatty acid (SFA) promotes atherosclerosis. In this study, we investigated the effect of LPS in combination with SFA-rich HFD on atherosclerosis and how LPS and SFA interact to stimulate inflammatory response in vascular endothelial cells.

METHODS

Low-density lipoprotein receptor-deficient (LDLR^-/-) mice were fed a low-fat diet (LFD), HFD with low palmitic acid (PA) (LP-HFD), or HFD with high PA (HP-HFD) for 20 weeks. During the last 12 weeks, half mice received LPS and half received PBS. After treatment, metabolic parameters and aortic atherosclerosis were analyzed. To understand the underlying mechanisms, human aortic endothelial cells (HAECs) were treated with LPS and/or PA and proinflammatory molecule expression was quantified.

RESULTS

The metabolic study showed that LPS had no significant effect on cholesterol, triglycerides, free fatty acids, but increased insulin and insulin resistance. Both LP-HFD and HP-HFD increased body weight and cholesterol while LP-HFD increased glucose and HP-HFD increased triglycerides, insulin, and insulin resistance. Analysis of aortic atherosclerosis showed that HP-HFD was more effective than LP-HFD in inducing atherosclerosis and LPS in combination with HP-HFD increased atherosclerosis in the thoracic aorta, a less common site for atherosclerosis, as compared with LPS or HP-HFD. To understand the mechanisms, results showed that LPS and PA synergistically upregulated adhesion molecules and proinflammatory cytokines in HAECs.

CONCLUSIONS

LPS and PA-rich HFD cooperatively increased atherogenesis in the thoracic aorta. The synergy between LPS and PA on proinflammatory molecules in HAECs may play an important role in atherogenesis.

Do quaternary ammonium monomers induce drug resistance in cariogenic, endodontic and periodontal bacterial species?

OBJECTIVES

Antibacterial monomers were developed to combat oral biofilm acids and caries; however, little is known on whether quaternary ammonium monomers (QAMs) would induce drug resistance in oral bacteria. The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of new antimicrobial monomers dimethylaminohexadecyl methacrylate (DMAHDM) and dimethylaminododecyl methacrylate (DMADDM) on the induction of drug resistance in eight species of cariogenic, endodontic and periodontal bacteria for the first time.

METHODS

Streptococcus mutans (S. mutans), Streptococcus sanguis, Streptococcus gordonii, Enterococcus faecalis (E. faecalis), Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans (A. actinomycetemcomitans), Fusobacterium nucleatum (F. nucleatum), Porphyromonas gingivalis (P. gingivalis), and Prevotella intermedia (P. intermedia) were tested. Minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) was assessed using chlorhexidine (CHX) as control. Minimal bactericidal concentration (MBC), bacterial growth and membrane permeability properties were also investigated.

RESULTS

CHX induced drug resistance in four species. DMAHDM did not induce any resistance. DMADDM induced drug resistance in only one benign species S. gordonii. The DMADDM-resistant and CHX-resistant S. gordonii had the same MIC and MBC values as S. gordonii parental strain against DMAHDM (p>0.1), hence DMAHDM effectively inhibited the resistant strains. The resistant strains had slower growth metabolism than parental strain.

SIGNIFICANCE

DMAHDM induced no drug resistance, and DMADDM had much less drug resistance than the commonly-used CHX in the eight common oral species. With its potent antimicrobial functions shown previously, the new DMAHDM is promising for applications in restorative, preventive, periodontal and endodontic treatments to combat cariogenic and pathological bacteria with no drug resistance in all tested species.

Quercetin Inhibits LPS-Induced Inflammation and ox-LDL-Induced Lipid Deposition

Aberrant activation of inflammation and excess accumulation of lipids play crucial role in the occurrence and progression of atherosclerosis (AS). Quercetin (QCT) has been tested effectively to cure AS. It is widely distributed in plant foods and has been proved to have potential antioxidative and anticancer activities. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms of OCT in AS are not completely understood. In the present study, we stimulated murine RAW264.7 cells with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) or oxidized low-density lipoproteins (ox-LDL) to mimic the development of AS. The data show that QCT treatment leads to an obvious decrease of multiple inflammatory cytokines in transcript level, including interleukin (IL)-1α, IL-1β, IL-2, IL-10, macrophage chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1), and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) induced by LPS. Moreover, expressions of other factors that contribute to the AS development, such as matrix metalloproteinase-1 (MMP-1) and suppressor of cytokine signaling 3 (SOCS3) induced by LPS are also downregulated by QCT. Furthermore, we found that QCT suppressed LPS-induced the phosphorylation of STAT3. Meanwhile, QCT could ameliorate lipid deposition and overproduction of reactive oxygen species induced by ox-LDL, and block the expression of lectin-like oxidized LDL receptor-1 (LOX-1) in cultured macrophages. Taken together, our data reveal that QCT has obvious anti-inflammatory and antioxidant virtues and could be a therapeutic agent for the prevention and treatment of AS.