Trihydroxyoctadecadienoic acids exhibit antiatherosclerotic and antiatherogenic activity

A standardized mixture of isomeric trihydroxy fatty acids (TFA: 12,13,16-trihydroxy-9Z, 14E-octadecadienoic-, 12,15,16-trihydroxy-9Z, 13E-octadecadienoic-, 9,10,13-trihydroxy-HE, 15Z-octadecadienoic-, and 12,13,16-trihydroxy-9,14Z-octadecadienoic acid), isolated from Bryonia alba L. roots, were found to exhibit antiatherosclerotic (reducing atherosclerotic manifestations) effects as studied in the cell culture obtained from atherosclerotic plaques of the human aorta. TFA, in a concentration range of 10(-8)-10(-4) M, reduced the total cholesterol content to a higher extent than nifedipine, and inhibited the [(3)H]-thymidine incorporation into the cultivated cells. The experiments with deendothelized rabbit aorta also demonstrated that TFA exhibit an antiatherogenic (preventive) effect resulting in a decreased intima thickness and restricted adhesion of blood cells to the surface of the vessel lumen.