Pomegranate Protection against Cardiovascular Diseases
Figure 8
Pomegranate juice (PJ) upregulates macrophage paraoxonase 2 (PON2) expression and reduces macrophage oxidative stress. (a) and (b) In vitro studies. J774A.1 macrophages were incubated with increasing concentrations (0–50 μmol polyphenols/L) of PJ for 20 hours. Then, PON2 mRNA expression (a), as well as PON2 lactonase activity towards dihydrocoumarin (b) were determined. (c) and (d) In vivo studies. C57BL/6 mice, as well as PON1knockout (KO) mice, or PON2KO mice, consumed PJ (200 μg of gallic acid equivalents/mouse/day) for 1 month, and the mice peritoneal macrophages (MPM) were harvested. MPM PON2 mRNA expression (c) and the cells’ ability to oxidize LDL in the presence of copper ions were measured (d). * (incubation in vitro with PJ versus without PJ), # (after PJ versus before PJ consumption).
