Foam cell formation as a result of imbalance of modified cholesterol influx and efflux by macrophages is a key to the occurrence and development of atherosclerosis. Oxidative stress is thought to be involved in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis. SS-31 is a member of the Szeto-Schiller (SS) peptides shown to specifically target the inner mitochondrial membrane to scavenge reactive oxygen species. In this study, we investigated whether SS-31 may provide protective effect on macrophage from foam cell formation in RAW264.7 cells. The results showed that SS-31 inhibited oxidized low-density lipoproteins (ox-LDL)-induced foam cell formation and cholesterol accumulation, demonstrated by intracellular oil red O staining and measurement of cholesterol content. The mechanism was revealed that SS-31 did not only significantly attenuated ox-LDL-induced generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and increased the activities of superoxide dismutases, but also dose-dependently inhibited the expression of CD36 and LOX-1, two scavenger receptors of ox-LDL, while the expression of ATP-binding cassette A1 and G1, playing a pivotal role in cholesterol efflux, was not affected. As a result, SS-31 decreased pro-inflammatory cytokines such as interleukin 6 and tumor necrosis factor alpha, suggesting the prevention of inflammatory responses. In conclusion, our results demonstrate that SS-31 provides a beneficial effect on macrophages from foam cell formation, likely, through both ROS scavenging and inhibition of cholesterol influx. Therefore, SS-31 may potentially be of therapeutic relevance in prevention of human atherogenesis.
