Cell culture as a testing system for anti-atherogenic substances: A brief communication

In the series of publications started in 1986 and continued until today (several presentations at the EAS-2008 Congress in Istanbul) was reported that culturing of smooth muscle cells, macrophages or other cells with the serum from patients with coronary heart disease caused lipid infiltration in vitro. Cell culture was used for testing anti-atherogenic drugs. Several substances have been reported to be efficient against atherogenicity: statins, trapidil, prostaglandin E2, dibutyryl cyclic AMP, calcium antagonists, lipoxygenase inhibitors, carbacyclin etc. On the contrary, beta-blockers, phenothiazines, oral hypoglycemics etc. were shown to be atherogenic. Some natural products were demonstrated by the same method to possess anti-atherogenic efficiency: garlic, black elder berries, fragmented grape stems, hop cones and others. Relevance of these data for practice is discussed.