Amomum tsao-ko Crevost et Lemarie extract targets gut-liver axis to combat atherosclerosis in ApoE-/- mice

Qianqian Wang^1,2湲湲 牛¹Jiawei Huang¹Junhong Huang¹Jiamin Zhang¹Boyi Zhang¹Zixuan Guo¹Shuying Feng^1,2*

• ¹Henan University of Chinese Medicine, Zhengzhou, China
• ²Henan Engineering Research Center for Chinese Medicine Foods for Special Medical Purpose, zhengzhou, China

Background: Amomum tsao-ko Crevost et Lemarie (T-K), as a significant dual-purpose plant used for both medicine and food, has a wide array of bioactivities and pharmacological impacts, such as regulating gastrointestinal function, promoting weight loss and fat reduction, lowering blood sugar, antioxidation, and so on. T-K's efficacy and the underlying mechanism in managing atherosclerosis have been infrequently discussed in literature. This research aimed to evaluate the T-K's therapeutic potential in atherosclerotic mouse models induced by a high-fat high-cholesterol diet as well as to explore the potential mechanisms. Methods: Atherosclerotic mice were given a high-fat high-cholesterol diet for 12 weeks, then continuous administration of T-K extract via gavage for an additional 8 weeks. Full-length aorta oil red O staining, aortic root oil red O staining and hematoxylin-eosin staining of liver tissues were employed to assess the efficacy of T-K. Biochemical methods and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays were employed to quantify alterations in inflammatory markers and oxidative stress indicators in serum and liver tissues. 16S rRNA sequencing technology was employed to analyze alterations in the composition of the intestinal microbiota in animals following treatment with T-K. Results: Full-length aorta oil red O staining, aortic root oil red O staining and liver hematoxylin-eosin staining effectively evaluated the therapeutic potential of T-K in managing atherosclerosis. Serological tests confirmed T-K's ability to decrease the total serum cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels. Additionally, gut microbiota showed significant alterations following T-K treatment, which were markedly different from the changes observed after statin therapies. Furthermore, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay results indicated that T-K significantly reduced inflammation in both aorta and liver. Oxidative stress assessments revealed that T-K can mitigate oxidative stress and thus improve atherosclerosis. Conclusion: T-K has demonstrated significant efficacy in treatment of atherosclerosis, primarily by lowering serum cholesterol levels and modulating intestinal flora at multiple levels to enhance atherosclerosis management. Meanwhile, T-K contributes to the amelioration of this condition through the attenuation of oxidative stress and inflammatory responses in both liver and aorta.