RETRACTED ARTICLE: Sodium ferulate inhibits high-fat diet-induced inflammatory factors expression in human umbilical vein endothelial cells

Abstract

Vascular inflammation is an important hallmark of atherosclerosis caused by high-fat diet. Oxidized low-density lipoprotein (ox-LDL) is a key initiator of inflammation as it activates vascular endothelial cells to induce the expression of inflammatory genes. Sodium ferulate (SF), an active component from Chinese medicine, was reported to have potential of anti-atherosclerotic activity. However, little is known about the mechanism. In present research we investigated how SF changed the cellular gene expression profile and restored ox-LDL-triggered inflammation in HUVECs. Cellular gene expression profile, the production of inflammatory genes and NF-κВ activation were investigated in human umbilical vein endothelial cells with or without SF (5 μM) treatment after precondition with ox-LDL (50 μg/mL). Ox-LDL treatment increased the production of inflammatory factors, including IL-1β, CCL20, IL-6, IL-8 and CXCL1. SF stimulation modulated the translocation of NF-κВ between cytoplasm and nucleus, and alleviated the inflammatory response induced by ox-LDL. Collectively, SF appeared to be able to suppress the expression of inflammatory factors in ox-LDL-stimulated endothelial cells, and transcription factor NF-κB might be involved in such process.