Dose-effect relationship between the expression of aortic vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 mRNA and qi-benefiting and blood-activating intervention on atherosclerosis

Hongzhen ZHANG; Li LI

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND:

In traditional Chinese medicine, both deficiency as primary and excess as secondary and deficiency of qi and blood stasis are common symptoms in dialectical logy of atherosclerosis (AS). Therefore, qi-benefiting drugs are the main component of qi-benefiting and blood-activating intervention. However, the best dose relationship between qi-benefiting and blood-activating drugs needs to be further studied.

OBJECTIVE:

To observe the effect of qi-benefiting and blood-activating intervention on the expression of aortic vascular cell adhesion molecule-1mRNA (VCAM-1mRNA) in AS models and analyze dose-effect relationship between astragalus and sanchi.

DESIGN:

Randomized control animal study.

SETTING:

Shanxi Medical University.MATERIALS The experiment was carried out in the Shanxi Medical University in April 2005. A total of 60 healthy male Wistar rats were selected in this study. The main reagents were quercetin (Shaanxi Huike Plant Co., Ltd., batch number20041112), saponins of panax notoginseng (PNS, Kunming Yagechen Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., batch number20050118) and ligustrazine (Yuxin Guoji Longyuan Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., batch number 20041204).

METHODS:

Model establishment Wistar rats were administrated AS feeds (including 10% yolk powder, 5% lard, 0.5% bile salt and 85% basic feed) for 3 months. Grouping and administration At threedays after suitability feeding, 8 rats were randomly selected, regarded as the normal control group and given general feeds, and other 52 rats were fed with AS feeds. Three months later, 4 rats were randomly selected for the measurements of lipid and aortic tissue. And then, the models were established successfully. In addition, 48 rats were randomly divided into 6 groups. ① Astragalus treatment group Rats were perfused with 0.1 g/(kg·d) quercetin. ② Sanchi treatment group Rats were perfused with 0.1 g/(kg·d)PNS. ③ 2∶1 of astragalus/sanchi treatment group Rats were perfused with 0.1 g/(kg·d) quercetin and 0.05 g/(kg·d) PNS.④ 3∶1 of astragalus/sanchi treatment group Rats were perfused with 0.15 g/(kg·d) quercetin and 0.05 g/(kg·d) PNS. ⑤Ligustrazine treatment group Rats were perfused with 0.2 g/(kg ·d) ligustrazine (Yuxin Guoji Longyuan Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.). ⑥ Normal control group Rats were fed with general feeds. ⑦ Model group Rats were fed with general feeds after successful model estalishement. Thirty days after administration, relative expression of VCAM-1mRNA inaorta was measured with reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) technique; moreover, 2 mL venous blood was collected from tail to measure the levels of serum total cholesterol (TC), triacylglycerol (TG), high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) and low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C).MAIN OUTCOME

MEASURES:

① Relative expression of VCAM-1mRNA in aorta; ② level of lipid.

RESULTS:

Among 60 male Wistar rats, three rats in the treatment group died because of perfusion and two rats in the model group died due to accident; therefore, a total of 51 rats were involved in the final analysis. ① High-lipid diet could promote the formation of AS models. Level of lipid was higher in the model group than that in the normal control group (P＜ 0.05), and leves of serum TC, TG and LDL-C were lower in the interventions group than those in the model group (P ＜0.05). ② Expression of VCAM-1mRNA was not found in the normal control group. Expression of VCAM-1mRNA was lower in the intervention groups than that in the model group. Expression of VCAM-1mRNA (0.42±0.02) was the lowest in 3∶1 of astragalus/sanchi treatment group, and there were significant differences as compared with other intervention groups (P ＜ 0.05).

CONCLUSION:

Astragalus and sanchi, a main component of qi-benefiting and blood-activating herbs, can down-regulate the level of lipid and resist AS; meanwhile, the combination of them is superior to the single application; in addition, with the increasing deal of qi-benefiting drugs, the function against AS is strengthened.