Nutrition and Metabolism and Cardiovascular Disease,
1996; 6: 21-31
In a placebo-controlled double-blind trial of 23 subjects with
coronary artery disease who had 1 to 3 major coronary arteries
that were 75% blocked or higher, 300 mg of garlic powder from 1
Kwai tablet, 2 and 4 hours after a single dose, showed the
atherogenicity of the patients sera to be markedly decreased.
There was less cholesterol accumulation in human aortic smooth
muscle cells cultured with patients sera after treatment compared
with those cultured with sera obtained prior to the
administration of the garlic. After 3 weeks of long-term Kwai
therapy at 300 mg, 3 times daily, blood serum atherogenicity was
significantly lower compared with initial levels. A two-fold
decrease in atherogenicity was recorded 4 weeks after Kwai
therapy. Long-term therapy lowered the atherogenicity of LDL
isolated from patients plasma. The atherogenicity of LDL isolated
2 hours after a single dose of Kwai did not change and remained
unchanged during 7 days of therapy. The ability of LDL to induce
intracellular cholesterol accumulation was decreased by 38% on
the 28th day of therapy. The ability of LDL to stimulate
proliferation of cultured cells was also decreased as a result of
long-term therapy with Kwai. Atherogenic LDL isolated from
patients had a lower content of sialic acid compared with native
LDL of healthy subjects. The sialic acid content of LDL did not
change after single-dose administration and after 7 days of
therapy. At the end of the 28 days of therapy, the sialic acid
content of LDL was significantly higher than at the beginning of
therapy. The authors believe that the decrease in LDL
atherogenicity by garlic powder tablets was due to increased
sialic acid content rather than a decreased susceptibility to LDL
oxidation.