Matrine ameliorates the inflammatory response and lipid metabolism in vascular smooth muscle cells through the NF-κB pathway

Atherosclerosis is a chronic inflammatory disease associated with inflammatory responses and the uncontrolled proliferation and excessive apoptosis of vascular smooth muscle cells. However, the effects of matrine on the inflammatory response, abnormal lipid metabolism and cell proliferation and apoptosis marker proteins in human aortic vascular smooth muscle cells (HAVSMCs) have not been elucidated. Therefore, the present study aimed to investigate the effect of matrine on an in vitro model of atherosclerosis using HAVSMCs. The HAVSMCs were divided into normal, model and matrine groups. The model group was treated with oxidized low-density lipoprotein (oxLDL), the matrine group was treated with oxLDL and matrine and the normal group was treated with physiological saline. Total cholesterol (TC), free cholesterol (FC) and cholesterol ester (CE) levels were measured in the cell supernatant. In addition, the relative mRNA levels of inflammatory factors were quantified using reverse transcription-quantitative PCR, and the cell proliferation and apoptosis rates were evaluated using Cell Counting Kit-8 and flow cytometry assays, respectively. The expression levels of proteins associated with proliferation and apoptosis were also determined using western blotting. The levels of TC, FC and CE and the mRNA levels of IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α in the matrine group were lower than those in the model group, but higher than those in the normal group. After 48 and 96 h of treatment, the cell proliferation and apoptotic rates were lower in the matrine group compared with the model group. The relative expression levels of Ki-67, proliferating cell nuclear antigen and Bax were decreased, while that of Bcl-2 was increased in the matrine group compared with the model group. In addition, the relative protein expression of nuclear factor κB (NF-κB) in the matrine group was lower than that in the model group, but higher than that in the normal group. In summary, matrine inhibited activation of the NF-κB pathway and reduced cell proliferation and apoptosis in the oxLDL-induced atherosclerosis model, and exhibited anti-inflammatory effects. These results suggest that matrine attenuated abnormal biological reactions in HAVSMCs through the NF-κB pathway.