Effects of Louxie mixture on vascular reactivity in atherosclerosis rats / 国际中医中药杂志

ABSTRACT

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 (C58.26±5.14 pg/ml; D59.30±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.