Jingling Granules decelerate atherosclerosis progression by inhibiting mTOR to enhance autophagy and suppress apoptosis, highlighting its therapeutic potential in early stage atherosclerosis.
JLG improved serum lipid profiles in high-fat diet-fed ApoE-/- mice.
JLG moderately reduced atherosclerotic lesion area in ApoE-/- mice.
JLG suppressed systemic inflammation in the atherosclerosis mouse model.
JLG enhanced autophagic flux in vivo in atherosclerotic mice.
JLG attenuated endothelial cell apoptosis in atherosclerotic mice.
JLG downregulated phosphorylated mTOR (p-mTOR), indicating inhibition of the mTOR signaling pathway.
In palmitic acid-challenged HUVECs, JLG promoted autophagy and reduced apoptosis through mTOR inhibition.
This research suggests that a traditional Chinese medicine formulation called Jingling Granules (JLG) can slow the progression of atherosclerosis — the buildup of plaques in arteries that is a major cause of heart disease — by activating a cellular 'self-cleaning' process called autophagy and reducing the death of cells lining blood vessels. The researchers tested JLG in mice genetically prone to atherosclerosis and fed a high-fat diet, finding that JLG improved blood fat levels, modestly reduced plaque size, and lowered whole-body inflammation. They also found that JLG activated autophagy and reduced programmed cell death (apoptosis) in vascular endothelial cells. To understand how JLG works at a molecular level, the researchers examined a key signaling protein called mTOR, which normally suppresses autophagy. JLG was found to reduce the active (phosphorylated) form of mTOR, suggesting it works by 'putting the brakes' on this suppressor, thereby allowing cells to clean up damaged components and survive longer. When this mechanism was tested in lab-grown human blood vessel cells stressed with a fatty acid (palmitic acid), JLG's protective effects were completely blocked when an mTOR-activating drug was added, confirming that mTOR inhibition is central to JLG's action. This research suggests that JLG may have potential as a complementary therapy for early-stage atherosclerosis by targeting the mTOR pathway to simultaneously promote cellular housekeeping and reduce cell death in blood vessels. The findings provide a scientific mechanism to explain the vascular protective effects of this clinically used formulation and may support further investigation into mTOR-targeting strategies for cardiovascular disease.
Wang Y, Liu Y, Niu D, Liu C, Wu Q, Cao L, et al.. (2026). Jingling Granules alleviate atherosclerosis through activating autophagy and inhibiting human umbilical vein endothelial cells apoptosis.. Scientific reports. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-026-63278-5