| Summary: | Hyperglycemia-induced oxidative stress triggers severe vascular damage and induces an inflammatory vascular state, and is, therefore, one of the main causes of atherosclerosis. Recently, interest in the natural compound <i>Carpinus turczaninowii</i> has increased because of its reported antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. We investigated whether a <i>C. turczaninowii</i> extract was capable of attenuating high glucose-induced inflammation and arterial damage using human aortic vascular smooth muscle cells (hASMCs). mRNA expression levels of proinflammatory response [interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α)], endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress [CCAAT-enhancer-binding proteins (C/EBP) homologous protein (CHOP)], and adenosine monophosphate (AMP)-protein activated kinase α2 (AMPK α2)], and DNA damage [phosphorylated H2.AX (p-H2.AX)] were measured in hASMCs treated with the <i>C. turczaninowii</i> extracts (1 and 10 μg/mL) after being stimulated by high glucose (25 mM) or not. The <i>C. turczaninowii</i> extract attenuated the increased mRNA expression of IL-6, TNF-α, and CHOP in hASMCs under high glucose conditions. The expression levels of p-H2.AX and AMPK α2 induced by high glucose were also significantly decreased in response to treatment with the <i>C. turczaninowii</i> extract. In addition, 15 types of phenolic compounds including quercetin, myricitrin, and ellagic acid, which exhibit antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, were identified in the <i>C. turczaninowii</i> extract through ultra-performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole-time of flight (UPLC-Q-TOF) mass spectrometry. In conclusion, <i>C. turczaninowii</i> may alleviate high glucose-induced inflammation and arterial damage in hASMCs, and may have potential in the treatment of hyperglycemia-induced atherosclerosis.
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