Effects of Momordica charantia L. on atherosclerosis in apoE knockout mice

[[abstract]]Atherosclerosis is a complex and slowly inflammatory disease. Ethyl acetate extract of bitter gourd has been found to have anti-inflammatory activity. To investigate the effects of bitter gourd (Momordica charantia L.) on atherosclerosis and inflammation, we conducted two experiments. Experiment 1, 18-wk-old C57BL/6J apoE knockout mice were assigned to 6 dietary groups as follows: (1) chow diet(n=5) (2) high fat (20%) diet(n=10) (3) high fat plus 5% wild bitter gourd powder(n=10) (4) high fat plus 1% ethyl acetate extract of bitter gourd powder(n=10) (5) high fat plus 0.5% clofibrate(n=5) (6) high fat plus 0.00123% Thiazolidinedione (n=5). After 18 weeks of feeding, the serum levels of adhesion molecules and cytokines were not significantly different among the 6 groups, but the aorta intima/media area ratio in mice fed ethyl acetate extract of bitter gourd powder were 57% less than those fed the high fat diet without supplementation(p<0.05). Experiment 2, Young (6-10 wk-old) C57BL/6J apoE knockout mice were assigned to 3 dietary groups as follows:(1) high fat (20%) diet(n=11) (2) high fat plus 5% wild bitter gourd powder(n=11) (3) high fat plus 1% ethyl acetate extract of bitter gourd powder(n=11). After 8 weeks of feeding, the Mac-1(CD11b/CD18) expression within leukocytes and the serum levels of cytokines and 8-iso-Prostaglandin F2α were not significantly different among the 3 groups, but the en face atherosclerotic lesion of aorta in mice fed ethyl acetate extract of bitter gourd powder were 28% less than those fed the high fat diet without supplementation(p