Cellular and Molecular Mechanisms of Diabetic Atherosclerosis: Herbal Medicines as a Potential Therapeutic Approach

Figure 2

Salvianolic acid B protects against diabetic atherosclerosis via the Nrf2 signalling pathway. Under normal conditions, Nrf2 constitutively binds to keap1, a negative regulator in the cytosol. Under high-glucose stress, Nrf2 is released from keap1 and translocates to the nucleus, enhancing the transcriptional activity of NADPH: quinine oxidoreductase 1 (NQO1), heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and catalase (CAT). These antioxidant enzymes decrease the levels of ROS. Salvianolic acid B is capable of upregulating Nrf2 activity or inhibiting NOX generation directly. ARE: antioxidant-responsive element; HO-1: heme oxygenase-1; NQO1: quinine oxidoreductase 1; SOD: superoxide dismutase; CAT: catalase.