Absence of an atheroprotective effect of the garlic powder printanor in APOE3-Leiden transgenic mice

• Published in: Atherosclerosis 2004-12, Vol.177 (2), p.291-297
• Main Authors: Santo, Sonia M.S. Espirito, Vlijmen, Bart J.M. van, Duyvenvoorde, Wim van, Offerman, Erik H., Havekes, Louis M., Arnault, Ingrid, Auger, Jacques, Princen, Hans M.G.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animals; APOE3-Leiden transgenic mice; Apolipoprotein E3; Apolipoproteins E - genetics; Arteriosclerosis - prevention & control; Atherosclerosis; Atherosclerosis (general aspects, experimental research); Biological and medical sciences; Blood and lymphatic vessels; Body weight; Cardiology. Vascular system; Cardiovascular system; Disease Models, Animal; Diseases of the peripheral vessels. Diseases of the vena cava. Miscellaneous; Female; Garlic; Inflammation; Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1 - blood; Lipids - blood; Medical sciences; Mice; Mice, Transgenic; Pharmacology. Drug treatments; Serum Amyloid A Protein - analysis; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha - analysis; Vasodilator agents. Cerebral vasodilators; von Willebrand Factor - analysis
• ISSN: 0021-9150; 1879-1484
• DOI: 10.1016/j.atherosclerosis.2004.07.024

Numerous animal studies have reported that garlic can protect against atherosclerosis. However, a comparable number of studies do not support this observation. This contradiction may result from differences in study design, use of different animal models, and use of different garlic formulations and preparations. Here, we investigated the effect of the chemically well-characterized and production-controlled garlic powder printanor on atherosclerosis in the APOE*3-Leiden transgenic mouse, a mouse model well suited for evaluating anti-atherosclerotic properties of drugs and food components under human-like conditions. APOE*3-Leiden mice were fed a Western diet supplemented with either 5 or 50 g kg −1 printanor. As a reference, the commercially available fermented garlic kyolic was included (1.6 g kg −1 diet). Treatment with printanor demonstrated reduced body weight, coinciding with increased feces production and fecal fatty acids excretion. Printanor and kyolic treatment did not affect plasma lipids, markers of inflammation (serum amyloid A, serum-soluble intercellular adhesion molecule-1, and blood-leukocytes tumor necrosis factor-α (TNFα) production) and vascular activation (plasma von Willebrand factor (vWF)). As analyzed after 28 weeks of treatment, printanor and kyolic did not affect atherosclerotic lesion type, area or composition. Under conditions relevant to the human situation, the well-characterized and production-controlled garlic powder printanor does not display hypolipidemic, anti-inflammatory or anti-atherosclerotic properties.