Compensatory UTE/T2W Imaging of Inflammatory Vascular Wall in Hyperlipidemic Rabbits

Fabrication of a Polysaccharide-Protein/Protein Complex Stabilized Oral Nanoemulsion to Facilitate the Therapeutic Effects of 1,8-Cineole on Atherosclerosis

Atherosclerosis (AS) is a systemic disease characterized by lipid deposition in the blood vessel wall that urgently requires effective and safe therapeutic drugs for long-term treatment. An essential oil monomer-1,8-cineole (CIN) with ameliorative effects on vascular injuries has considerable potential for preventing the progression of AS because of its antioxidant, anti-inflammation, and cholesterol regulatory effects. However, the high volatility and instability of CIN result in low oral bioavailability and a short half-life, thereby limiting its clinical application. We formulated a nanoemulsion using a polysaccharide-protein/protein complex (dextran-bovine serum albumin/protamine, DEX_5k-BSA/PTM) as an emulsifier, with vitamin B12 (VB₁₂) as the ligand to facilitate the transportation across the small intestine. An emulsion preparation method using a microjet followed by ultraviolet irradiation was developed to obtain the CIN-loaded oral nanoemulsion CIN@DEX_5k-BSA/PTM/VB₁₂. The nanoemulsion improved the stability of CIN both in vitro and in vivo, prolonged the retention time in the gastrointestinal tract (GIT), and enhanced the permeability across the mucus layer and intestinal epithelial cells to increase oral bioavailability and plaque accumulation of CIN. Validated in an AS mouse model, CIN@DEX_5k-BSA/PTM/VB₁₂ achieved prominent therapeutic efficacy combating AS. This study highlights the advantages of DEX_5k-BSA/PTM and VB₁₂ in the development of nanoemulsions for CIN and provides a promising oral nanoplatform for the delivery of essential oils.

Foam cell origination from degenerated vascular smooth muscle cells in atherosclerosis: An ultrastructural study on hyperlipidemic rabbits

To clarify foam cell origination in atherosclerosis, a series of morphologic and ultrastructural alterations of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) and foam cells were studied by light and electron microscopy in atherosclerotic aortas from hyperlipidemic rabbits induced for 5 weeks. The study exhibited that VSMCs were severely degenerated and damaged, including irregular shapes, expanded mitochondria, aplenty lipid droplets, and disarranged myofilaments in cytoplasm in media adjacent to atheromatic bottoms. Most lipid laden cells shared interphase structures of VSMCs and foam cells, and some dissolved spindle cells contained lipid droplets, lipofuscin, and rod-like CCs in cytoplasm also. The result demonstrated that VSMCs were degenerated and transformed into foam cells in atherosclerosis, which was responsible for the accumulation of lipid and cholesterol crystals in atherosclerotic arteries.