ABSTRACT
<p><b>AIM</b>To evaluate the inhibitory effect of simvastatin via investigating the overall expression level of proteins in the artery of atherosclerotic rabbit.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Experimental model was established by feeding the rabbits a high fat diet (cholesterol 0.5 g.kg-1.d-1, lard 0.5 mL.kg-1.d-1) for 8 weeks. Then simvastatin (5 mg.kg-1) were fed for 4 weeks to the rabbits. The overall protein levels were measured using two-dimensional gel electrophoresis and a PDQUEST data processing.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Twenty nine protein spots showed significant quantitative changes in comparison with the normal and the diseased rabbits. Furthermore, after the diseased rabbit having taken simvastatin, an obvious decay of symptom of fatty liver was observed, and the intensity of most spots has not been back-regulated.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Simvastatin facilitates the metabolism of fat in the blood, but the lesion of the internal wall of the atherosclerotic artery cannot be restored.</p>