With the aging population, coronary syndrome is one of the leading causes of mortality.
Atherosclerosis is the pathophysiological basis of coronary syndrome, which is caused by plaque
rupture and predisposed or aggravated by many perioperative complications.
Parecoxib is one of the most widely used nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory perioperative drugs. This study aims to evaluate the potential benefits of
parecoxib on
atherosclerosis progression.
Apolipoprotein E-deficient (
Apo E-/-) mice were intraperitoneally injected by
parecoxib (par group) or saline (control group) and, meanwhile, were given a western diet for 12 weeks. The aorta and aortic root were examined by
oil red O (ORO) staining for atherosclerotic lesions. The expression level of
matrix metalloproteinases (
MMPs), was investigated using immunofluorescence and western blot. Macrophage
inflammation was investigated by Q-PCR.
Parecoxib treatment increased the number of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMC) and amount of
collagen, while and decreased the number of macrophages in murine aortic walls. The expression of MMP1, 2, 9, and 13 as well as IL- 1β and
IL-6 were also decreased in the par group. However, there was no statistical difference in
lipid infiltration between the two groups.
Parecoxib could improve plaque stability by suppressing
inflammation and inhibiting
MMPs production.