The amelioration of a purified Pleurotus abieticola polysaccharide on atherosclerosis in ApoE-/- mice

In this study, a polysaccharide known as PAPS2 was eluted from Pleurotus abieticola fruiting bodies using 0.1 M NaCl solutions. PAPS2 has a M-w of 19.64 kDa and its backbone is mainly composed of -> 6)-alpha-d-Galp-(1 ->, -> 6)-beta-d-Glcp-(1 -> and -> 2,6)-alpha-d-Galp-(1 -> residues, and its branches mainly end with beta-d-Manp-(1 ->, which is attached at C2 of -> 2,6)-alpha-d-Galp-(1 ->. PAPS2 elicited several effects in high-fat diet (HFD)-fed ApoE(-/-) mice. It significantly reduced the body weight, liver index, and serum levels of total cholesterol (TC) and triglycerides (TGs), and it alleviated lipid accumulation in the aorta. Intestinal microflora analysis showed that PAPS2 suppressed the abundances of Adlercreutzia, Turicibacter, and Helicobacter and enriched that of Roseburia. It also influenced lipid metabolism, suggesting that it reduced the levels of TGs, lysophosphatidylcholine (LPC), phosphatidylcholine (PC), and ceramide (Cer). Moreover, it suppressed oxidative response by increasing nuclear factor erythroid 2 (Nrf2)-related factor expression and activating the antioxidant enzymes superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) to reduce the level of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Meanwhile, it showed anti-inflammatory effects partially related to the inhibition of toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4)/nuclear factor kappa-B (NF-kappa B) signaling induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in RAW 264.7 cells, as well as in the aorta of HFD-fed ApoE(-/-) mice. This study provides experimental evidence of the auxiliary applicability of PAPS2 in atherosclerosis treatment.