The role of cepharanthine as an anti-atherosclerotic agent in rats.

This investigation assessed the potential of cepharanthine (CEP), a compound from Stephania cepharantha Hayata, in mitigating atherosclerosis in a hyperlipidemic rat model. Using Wistar rats, four distinct diet and drug treatment groups were established: a high-fat high sucrose diet (HFHS), HFHS supplemented with intraperitoneal cepharanthine (HFHS-C) or oral atorvastatin (HFHS-A) from the 8th week, and a normal-fat diet (NFD). The study aimed to evaluate diet and drug impact on aortic histopathological changes over 16 weeks. Our results revealed significant atherosclerosis prevention in the aorta of the HFHS-C group, marked by preserved endothelial integrity, absence of inflammation, and lack of atherosclerotic plaques. Additionally, CEP demonstrated a crucial role in preventing the emergence of cholesterol clefts and foamy macrophages. These findings suggest that CEP effectively curbs atherosclerosis progression in hyperlipidemic rats, reducing arterial fat deposition and offering a potential natural preventative strategy against this disease.

Vertebral Endplate Changes Correlate with Presence of Cartilaginous Endplate in the Herniated Disc Tissue: Factor Predicting Failure of Conservative Treatment

Methods@#Fifty-one discs were obtained from patients undergoing surgery for herniated disc. Their ages ranged from 19-65 years, and 31/51 were male. Pre-surgical T1 and T2 weighted lumbar-spine MRIs were analyzed to observe Pfirrmann grade, VEP defects, herniation type, Modic changes, and high-intensity zones (HIZ) at the affected level. Five-micron thick sections were stained with hematoxylin and eosin, Alcian blue periodic acid–Schiff stain; examined for histological degeneration scores (HDS; 0–15), inflammation (0 [absence]–3 [severe]), and presence of cartilaginous endplate (CEP). Three-micron thick sections were stained with protein-gene-product 9.5 and expression was counted/mm2. Data was analyzed, and p<0.05 was considered to indicate statistical significance. @*Results@#VEP defects, Modic changes, and HIZ were respectively observed in 30/51, 16/51, and 6/51 of the samples. CEP was observed in 26/51 samples and in 23/51 with endplate defects. Discs with adjacent VEP defects showed increased HDS (p<0.001) and inflammation (p<0.001). Discs with adjacent Modic changes also revealed increased HDS (p=0.01). Histological sections with CEP showed increased HDS (p<0.001) and inflammation (p<0.001), and nerve density was significantly positively correlated with HDS (r=0.27, p=0.02). @*Conclusions@#VEP changes can modulate degeneration and inflammation of herniated discs. Presence of these changes is highly predictive of the occurrence of CEP in herniated discs, which leads to slow resorption and persistent clinical symptoms.