Citronellal prevents endothelial dysfunction and atherosclerosis in rats.

BACKGROUND: Atherosclerosis is a chronical inflammatory disease in arterial walls, which is involved in oxidative stress and endothelial dysfunction. Aromatherapy is one of the complementary therapies that use essential oils as the major therapeutic agents to treat several diseases. Citronellal (CT) is a monoterpene predominantly formed by the secondary metabolism of plants, producing antithrombotic, antiplatelet, and antihypertensive activities. AIM: The aim of the present study is to explore whether aromatherapy with CT improves endothelial function to prevent the formation of atherosclerotic plaque in vivo. METHODS: An AS model in carotid artery was induced by balloon injury and vitamin D3 injection in rats fed with a high-fat diet. The size of the carotid atherosclerotic plaque was determined by ultrasound, oil red, and hematoxylin-eosin staining. Endothelial function was assessed by measuring acetylcholine-induced vessel relaxation in an organ chamber. RESULTS: Administrations of CT (50, 100, and 150 mg/kg) as well as lovastatin dramatically reduced the size of carotid atherosclerotic plaque in rats in a dose-dependent manner, compared with atherosclerotic rats fed with a high-fat diet plus balloon injury and vitamin D3. Mechanically, CT improved endothelial dysfunction, increased cell migration, and suppressed oxidative stress and inflammation in vascular endothelium in rats feeding on the high-fat diet plus balloon injury. Further, CT downregulated the protein levels of sodium-hydrogen exchanger 1 in rats with atherosclerosis. CONCLUSION: CT improves endothelial dysfunction and prevents the growth of atherosclerosis in rats by reducing oxidative stress. Clinically, CT is potentially considered as a medicine to treat patients with atherosclerosis.

Prevalence and Factors Associated With Bone Erosion in Patients With Gout.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the prevalence, distribution, and factors associated with bone erosion detectable by ultrasound in patients with gout. METHODS: Ultrasound scans were performed in 980 patients with gout, and bone erosion was detected. The prevalence and distribution of bone erosion in gout patients were calculated. Both clinical variables and ultrasound signs were entered into a multivariate logistic regression analysis to clarify the factors associated with bone erosion in patients with gout. RESULTS: Bone erosion was found in 431 (44.0%) of the 980 patients with gout, and in 338 (78.4%) of these patients, the bone erosion was found in the first metatarsophalangeal (MTP) joint. A multivariable logistic regression analysis showed that age, duration of gout, the existence of tophi, ultrasound-detected synovial hypertrophy, and joint effusion were independently associated with bone erosion. A tophus was the most powerful factor associated with bone erosion, with an odds ratio (OR) of 4.218 (95% confidence interval 3.092-5.731). The risk for bone erosion also increased as the number of tophi increased (P < 0.001). However, after stratifying the size of tophi, the ORs did not increase significantly (P = 0.206). CONCLUSION: A high percentage of gout patients had bone erosions; the first MTP joint was the most frequently involved site. Age, duration of gout, tophi, and synovial hypertrophy were factors associated with bone erosion in gout patients. The number of tophi, but not their size, was strongly associated with bone erosion in patients with gout.