Baoyuan decoction inhibits atherosclerosis progression through suppression peroxidized fatty acid and Src/MKK4/JNK pathway-mediated CD 36 expression

•Baoyuan decoction (BYD) effectively decreases atherosclerotic lesions in ApoE-/- mice, without affecting plasma lipid levels.•BYD suppresses the elevated levels of 9/13-hydroxyoctadecadienoic acid (9/13-HODE) in mouse feces.•BYD prevents the upregulation of PPARγ mediated CD36 induced by 9/13-HODE, the main peroxidized fatty acid in oxLDL in macrophages.•BYD inhibits the lipid deposition in macrophages through the regulation of the Src/MMK4/JNK pathway. Background: Baoyuan decoction (BYD) has been widely utilized as a traditional prescription for the treatment of various conditions such as coronary heart disease, aplastic anemia, and chronic renal failure. However, its potential efficacy in improving atherosclerosis has not yet been investigated. Purpose: Our research aimed to assess the potential of BYD as an inhibitor of atherosclerosis and uncover the underlying mechanism by which it acts on foam cell formation. Study Design and Methods: High-fat diet-induced ApoE-/- mice were employed to explore the effect of BYD on atherosclerosis. The differential metabolites in feces were identified and analyzed by LC-Qtrap-MS. In addition, we utilized pharmacological inhibition of BYD on foam cell formation induced by oxLDL in THP-1 cells to elucidate the underlying mechanisms specifically in macrophages. Results: The atherosclerotic plaque burden in the aortic sinus of ApoE-/- mice was notably reduced with BYD treatment, despite no significant alterations in plasma lipids. Metabolomic analysis revealed that BYD suppressed the increased levels of peroxidized fatty acids, specifically 9/13-hydroxyoctadecadienoic acid (9/13-HODE), in the feces of mice. As a prominent peroxidized fatty acid found in oxLDL, we confirmed that 9/13-HODE induced the overexpression of CD36 in THP-1 macrophages by upregulating PPARγ. In subsequent experiments, the decreased levels of CD36 triggered by oxLDL were observed after BYD treatment. This decrease occurred through the regulation of the Src/MMK4/JNK pathway, resulting in the suppression of lipid deposition in THP-1 macrophages. Conclusions: These results illustrate that BYD exhibits potential anti-atherosclerotic effects by inhibiting CD36 expression to prevent foam cell formation. [Display omitted]