THE ROLE OF THYMOQUINONE AND EPIGALLOCATECHIN-3-GALLATE ON THE VIABILITY OF MRC-5 FIBROBLASTS IN CULTURE

摘要

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) continues to be a significant cause of morbidity and mortality in the United States, despite recent advances in research. An increased level of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) has been identified as a major risk factor for CVD; however, the exact mechanism by which it contributes to CVD has not been fully elucidated. It is believed that the modification of LDL may play an important role. With rising healthcare costs and a lack of ideal intervention for CVD, alternative therapies have received much attention. Previous studies have shown that antioxidants may reduce the damage caused by oxidatively modified LDL. The specific aims of this study are to investigate the role of thymoquinone (TQ) and epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) on the viability and morphology of fibroblast cells in culture. Results of this study reveal that TQ and EGCG may protect the functional and structural capacity of fibroblast cells in culture.