Orientin inhibits high glucose-induced vascular inflammation in vitro and in vivo

Vascular inflammation plays a key role in the initiation and progression of atherosclerosis, a major complication of diabetes mellitus. Orientin, a C-glycosyl flavonoid, is known to have anxiolytic and antioxidative activity. In this study, we assessed whether orientin can suppress vascular inflammation induced by high glucose (HG) in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) and mice. Our data indicate that HG markedly increased vascular permeability, monocyte adhesion, the expression of cell adhesion molecules (CAMs), the formation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), and the activation of nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB). Remarkably, the vascular inflammatory effects of HG were attenuated by pretreatment with orientin. Since vascular inflammation induced by HG is critical in the development of diabetic complications, our results suggest that orientin may have significant benefits in the treatment of diabetic complications and atherosclerosis.