The Protective Activities of Dietary Sea Cucumber Cerebrosides against Atherosclerosis through Regulating Inflammation and Cholesterol Metabolism in Male Mice.

SCOPE: Cerebroside is an active component extracted from sea cucumber (SCC), which is a traditional tonic food in China. In this study, the protective effect of SCC on atherogenesis is investigated and the possible underlying mechanism is determined.

METHOD AND RESULTS: Male C57BL/6J obese mice were first used to explore the impact of SCC at different doses on alleviating lipid disorders and insulin sensitivity. Then ApoE-/- mice were used to evaluate the protective activities of SCC on atherosclerosis. The results demonstrated that dietary SCC increased the insulin sensitivity and reduced serum and hepatic lipid profiles in a dose-dependent manner in C57BL/6J mice. In ApoE-/- mice, SCC treatment significantly decreased the atherosclerotic lesion formation and attenuated inflammation by decreasing the levels of inflammatory cytokines, such as CRP, TNF-α, IL-6. Compared to the model group, the SCC group showed lower cholesterol levels in serum and liver by mediating the expression of genes related to hepatic LDL uptake and cholesterol excretion.

CONCLUSION: Dietary SCC has the potential to eliminate atherosclerosis through regulating inflammation and cholesterol metabolism, and may be beneficial for the health of patients with cardiovascular disease.