Alamgeer, Asif H, Sandhu MZA, Aziz M, Irfan HM, Moreno KGT, Junior AG. Ameliorative Effects and Cellular Aspects of Phytoconstituents in Atherosclerosis.
Curr Pharm Des 2020;
26:2574-2582. [PMID:
32056518 DOI:
10.2174/1381612826666200214161139]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2019] [Accepted: 01/17/2020] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Atherosclerosis is a cardiovascular disease that involves vessels through the development of fatty streaks and plaques. Plant-based compounds can help treat or prevent atherosclerosis by affecting various factors that are involved in the disease. The present review discusses our current knowledge of the major cellular and molecular mechanisms of phytotherapeutics for the treatment of atherosclerosis. Numerous studies have evaluated the antiatherosclerotic activity of phytoconstituents to provide preliminary evidence of efficacy, but only a few studies have delineated the underlying molecular mechanisms. Plant-derived phytotherapeutics primarily targets abnormal levels of lipoproteins, endothelial dysfunction, smooth muscle cell migration, foam cell development, and atheromatous plaque formation. Nonetheless, the principal mechanisms that are responsible for their therapeutic actions remain unclear. Further pharmacological studies are needed to elucidate the underlying molecular mechanisms of the antiatherosclerotic response to these phytoconstituents.
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