Hypolipidemic effect of powder of Panax notoginseng and its mechanism / 中草药

ABSTRACT

Objective: To investigate the hypolipidemic effects of powder of Panax notoginseng (PPN) and explore its possible mechanism. Methods: Hyperlipidemic rats model was established, and orally given three dosages of PPN for 8 weeks. The levels of serum ALT, AST, TC, TG, and LDL-C were detected. The pathological changes of liver tissues were observed by H&E staining. Gene expressions of hepatic low density lipoprotein receptor (LDLR), SIRT1, and LXR-α were measured with RT-PCR analysis. Protein expression of SREBP-2 and SCAP was determined by Western blotting. Results: Three dosages of PPN significantly decreased serum ALT, AST, TC, TG, and LDL-C levels. Histological data indicated that PPN notably reduced liver injury and hepatic steatosis in hyperlipidemic rats. In molecular study, mRNA expression of hepatic LDLR and SIRT1 was up-regulated and LXR-α gene expression was down-regulated in PPN treated rats. Additionally, PPN significantly reduced protein expression of SREBP-2 and SCAP. Conclusion: The positive effect of PPN on hyperlipidemic rats may be related to the inhibition of cholesterol synthesis of PPN through the up-regulation of SIRT1 and down-regulation of LXR-α and SCAP/SREBP-2 signaling pathway. Additionally, PPN could up-regulate hepatic LDLR mRNA expression and improve uptake of LDL-C in circulation.