Obeticholic Acid Reduces Atherosclerosis Progression in Mice After Bilateral Ovariectomy

As women age—especially after menopause—the risk of atherosclerosis increases significantly, but its physiological mechanism is still unclear. To explore potential strategies for preventing and treating postmenopausal atherosclerosis in women, in this study, we simulated the physiological state of menopause by constructing a bilateral ovariectomized mouse model to detect the proteome, blood lipids, platelet-activating factor in mouse plasma, LPS, diamine oxidase, platelet activation rate, and lipid deposition at the aortic arch position. The data showed that protein expression in the plasma of postmenopausal mice changed significantly, the platelet activation rate increased significantly, the intestinal barrier was damaged, and the plasma LPS increased. In postmenopausal mice, OCA could improve the intestinal barrier, reduce the plasma LPS and platelet activation rate, and slow the progression of atherosclerosis. This study describes the phenomenon of OCA being able to reduce the progression of atherosclerosis in mice after bilateral oophorectomy; however, this cannot be considered definitive evidence of a fully established mechanism, and further research is still needed.