Combined Therapy with Simvastatin- and Coenzyme-Q10-Loaded Nanoparticles Upregulates the Akt-eNOS Pathway in Experimental Metabolic Syndrome.
Ezgi ŞamanMartina CebovaAndrej BartaMartina KonerackaVlasta ZavisovaAnita Eckstein-AndicsovaMartin DankoJaroslav MosnáčekOlga PechanovaPublished in: International journal of molecular sciences (2022)
In addition to their LDL-cholesterol-lowering effect, statins have pleiotropic beneficial effects on the cardiovascular system. However, long-term treatment with statins may be associated with serious side effects. With the aim to make statin therapy more effective, we studied the effects of simvastatin- and coenzyme-Q10-loaded polymeric nanoparticles on the lipid profile and nitric oxide (NO)/reactive oxygen species (ROS) balance in the heart and aorta of adult male obese Zucker rats. The rats were divided into an untreated group, a group treated with empty nanoparticles, and groups treated with simvastatin-, coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10)-, or a combination of simvastatin- and CoQ10-loaded nanoparticles (SIMV+CoQ10). After 6 weeks, the lipid profile in the plasma and the concentration of conjugated dienes in the liver were determined. Nitric oxide synthase (NOS) activity, Akt, endothelial NOS (eNOS), phosphorylated eNOS (p-eNOS), nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) oxidase, and nuclear factor kappaB (NF-kappaB) protein expressions were measured in the heart and aorta. All simvastatin, CoQ10, and SIMV+CoQ10 treatments decreased plasma LDL levels, but only the combined SIMV+CoQ10 treatment increased NOS activity and the expression of Akt, eNOS, and p-eNOS in both the heart and the aorta. Interestingly, NADPH oxidase in the heart and NF-kappaB protein expression in the aorta were decreased by all treatments, including nanoparticles alone. In conclusion, only combined therapy with SIMV- and CoQ10-loaded nanoparticles increased NOS activity and upregulated the Akt-eNOS pathway in obese Zucker rats, which may represent a promising tool for the treatment of cardiometabolic diseases.
Keyphrases
- nitric oxide synthase
- nitric oxide
- signaling pathway
- metabolic syndrome
- nuclear factor
- drug delivery
- pi k akt
- cell proliferation
- reactive oxygen species
- heart failure
- aortic valve
- cancer therapy
- hydrogen peroxide
- endothelial cells
- cardiovascular disease
- pulmonary artery
- adipose tissue
- oxidative stress
- atrial fibrillation
- toll like receptor
- low density lipoprotein
- type diabetes
- skeletal muscle
- weight loss
- stem cells
- lps induced
- wound healing
- coronary artery
- bariatric surgery
- mesenchymal stem cells
- cardiovascular risk factors
- immune response
- drug release
- photodynamic therapy