RESUMO
Objective To investigate the effect of Chinese medicine Louxie mixture on vascular reactivity in atherosclerosis rats. Methods Forty male rats were randomly divided into four groups: the control group (A group, n＝10) was fed with normal diet; the model group (B group, n＝10), atorvastatin treated group (C group, n＝10 and Louxie mixture group (D group, n＝10) were fed with high fat/cholesterol diet. Atorvastatin 10 mg/kg·d-1 was administered to C group and Louxie mixture to D group for 10 weeks by gavages. Serum endothelin-1 (ET-1), nitric oxide (NO) and nitric oxide syntheses (NOS) were observed in different groups before and after the treatment. Vascular reactivity of aortic rings was measured by both the sodium nitroprusside(SNP)-induced endothelium-independent relaxation (NEDR) and the acetylcholine (Ach)-induced endothelium-dependent relaxation (EDR) in different groups. Results After treatment, the (19.03±1.72)μmol/l; NOS (24.78±0.25)U/ml vs (15.36±0.24U/ml), P＜0.01], while the level of ET-1in B levels of NO and NOS in B group were significantly lower than those in A group [NO(35.73±3.72)μmol/l vs group was higher than that in A group [(34.58±4.00) pg/ml vs (117.58±5.34)pg/ml,P＜0.01]. The levels of NO and NOS were significantly increased and the level of ET-1 was decreased in C and D groups after the treatment [NO(C: 31.30±1.96 umol/l;D: 32.85±3.70 umol/l); NOS (C: 21.96±1.07 U/ml ; D: 19.78± 1.20U/ml ); ET (C:58.26±5.14 pg/ml; D:59.30±5.73 pg/ml), P＜0.01]. The activities of NEDR were similar in four groups[SNP Emax (A: 97.33±1.31; B: 98.24±1.04;C: 97.52±1.09; D: 97.91±1.59)%, P＞0.05], but the level of EDR in the B group (P＜0.01) was the lowest among four groups [Ach Emax (A: 72.65±3.31; B: 32.68±2.39;C: 61.63±2.07; D: 57.58±2.43)%, P＜0.01]. Conclusion Chinese medicine Louxie mixture can protect vascular function in atherosclerosis rats.