How to cite this article: Sazonova MA, Ryzhkova AI, Sinyov VV, Galitsyna EV, Orekhova VA, Melnichenko AA, Orekhov AN, Ravani AL, Sobenin IA. New markers of atherosclerosis: a threshold level of heteroplasmy in mtDNA mutations. Vessel Plus 2017;1:182-91. Aim:The aim of the present article was the detection of threshold heteroplasmy level of mitochondrial DNA mutations, above which a patient is at increased risk of atherosclerotic lesions. Besides, this parameter was detected for mutations, in which after reaching threshold heteroplasmy level, a protective antiatherogenic effect started to appear. Methods: The participants of the study were 700 women and men from the Moscow region. Fragments of DNA, amplified by polymerase chain reaction, were analyzed with pyrosequencing technology. Then on the basis of pyrograms' peaks in the samples, the heteroplasmy level of the investigated mitochondrial genome mutations was detected. Results: The threshold heteroplasmy level of 11 investigated mutations (m.5178C>A, m.15059G>A, m.652delG, m.13513G>A, m.14846G>A, m.652insG, m.12315G>A, m.3336T>C, m.1555A>G, m.14459G>A, m.3256C>T) in individuals with atherosclerotic plaques or thickening of the intima-medial layer of carotid arteries was detected. Conclusion: Using the method developed in our laboratory, the authors managed to determine threshold heteroplasmy levels of 11 mitochondrial genome mutations associated

Atherosclerosis is a chronic multifactorial disease characterized by mainly changes of blood lipids profile and inflammation in vessel wall. The cardiovascular disease based on atherosclerosis is currently the leading cause of mortality in developed countries. Therefore, timely prevention and therapy of atherosclerosis are able to reduce the risk of the development of its clinical manifestations. Anti-atherosclerotic activity of medicinal plants mainly appears in their multiple effects such as anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antiatherogenic, hypotensive, lipid-lowering, anti-thrombotic. Moreover, most of medicinal plants are characterized by their pleiotropic anti-atherosclerotic action. In addition, the medicinal plants-derived pharmacological substances and/or compounds are characterized by relative safety and fewer side effects that allows considering them as one of potential anti-atherosclerotic effective agents. The direct anti-atherosclerotic effect of some medicinal plants was confirmed in clinical trials of carotid Intima-media thickness (IMT) progression during long-term medication with medicinal plants. This review attempted to determine the current status of the databases PubMed and Scopus (until November, 2019) to investigate the medicinal plants possessing anti-atherosclerotic activity in experimental and clinical studies.

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