Ginger attenuates trimethylamine-N-oxide (TMAO)-exacerbated disturbance in cholesterol metabolism and vascular inflammation

• Published in: Journal of functional foods 2019-01, Vol.52, p.25-33
• Main Authors: He, Zouyan, Lei, Lin, Kwek, Erika, Zhao, Yimin, Liu, Jianhui, Hao, Wangjun, Zhu, Hanyue, Liang, Ning, Ma, Ka Ying, Ho, Hing Man, He, Wen-Sen, Chen, Zhen-Yu
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Cholesterol; Ginger extract; Heart disease; Inflammation; TMAO
• ISSN: 1756-4646; 2214-9414
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jff.2018.10.022

[Display omitted] •Dietary TMAO raised plasma levels of total cholesterol and proinflammatory cytokines.•Ginger extract (GE) significantly lowered plasma levels of total cholesterol and proinflammatory cytokines.•GE partially reverses TMAO-induced reduction in fecal total acidic sterols via up-regulating hepatic CYP7A1 expression.•GE showed cardio-protective effects against TMAO. Trimethylamine-N-oxide (TMAO) has recently been identified as an independent risk factor for atherosclerosis. The present study was to investigate the effects of ginger extract (GE) on plasma cholesterol and inflammation in TMAO-exacerbated hypercholesterolemic mice. Forty-five mice were assigned into five groups and fed a non-cholesterol diet, a high-cholesterol diet, or one of the three experimental high-cholesterol diets containing 1% GE, 0.2% TMAO, or 0.2% TMAO plus 1% GE for 12 weeks. Results showed that dietary TMAO increased plasma total cholesterol (TC). GE decreased plasma TC in both non-TMAO-fed and TMAO-fed mice, by up-regulating the expression of hepatic cholesterol 7α-hydroxylase (CYP7A1) and promoting fecal excretion of total acidic sterols. GE also lowered plasma levels of proinflammatory cytokines including interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α), and monocyte chemotactic protein 1 (MCP-1). It was concluded that GE could alleviate the TMAO-aggravated elevation in plasma TC and vascular inflammation in high cholesterol diet-fed mice.