ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: To study the influence of Chlamydia pneumonia (Cpn) infection on haemorheology and atherosclerosis and the intervention of Huanglian Jiedu decoction (HJT). METHOD: At the beginning of the experiment, all the sixty New-Zealand rabbits were token blood to test Cpn IgG and all the results were negative. Eight New-Zealand rabbits were randomized into normal group F, and all other rabbits were fed with forage containing 2.5 g x kg(-1) cholesterol and infected with Cpn via nasophrynx for three times during 6 weeks. At the end of the sixth week, forty-four rabbits with serum Cpn IgG positive were randomized into four groups: Group A treat with HJD 2 g x kg(-1) d(-1) by gastric gavage, group B with HJT 1 g x kg(-1) x d(-1), group C with azithromycin 20 mg x kg(-1) x d(-1), model group D with normal saline for six weeks. Group E was set up in eight rabbits with serum Cpn IgG negative and served as the control. At the end of 18th week, blood was token from middle ear artery to test haemorheology such as whole blood viscosity, plasma viscosity, haematocrit, erythrocyte aggregation index (EAI), erythrocyte rigidity index (IRI), and erythrocyte deformability index (EDI). After that, all the rabbits were executed and the pathological features of aorta tissue were observe under microscope. RESULT: Haemorheological disorder and atherosclerotic changes were obvious in both group D and E. while maximum intimal thickness (MIT) (23.65 +/- 8.19 vs 12.76 +/- 4.06), atherosclerotic damage percentage (P(LCI)) (41.08 +/- 12.51 vs 22.43 +/- 9.45), plaque area index (I(PA)) (9.57 +/- 1.82 vs 2.84 +/- 0.25) in group D was much higher than that in group E (all P < 0.01). Compare with group D, haemorphological disorder and atherosclerotic changes were much improved in group A, B and C. MIT (6.45 +/- 1.27 vs 23.65 +/- 8.19), (P < 0.01), P(LCI) (22.39 +/- 6.74 vs 41.08 +/- 12.51), (P < 0.05) and I(PA) (1.44 +/- 0.33 vs 9.57 +/- 1.82), (P < 0.01) in group A was much lower than that in group D. And MIT (12.65 +/- 3.63 vs 23.65 +/- 8.19), (P < 0.01) and I(PA) (4.43 +/- 1.17 vs 9.57 +/- 1.82), (P < 0.05) in gruoup B was much lower than that in group D too. CONCLUSION: Cpn infection could aggravate the haemorheology disorder in cholesterol-supplemented-diet rabbits, and both antidotal decoction of Coptis and azithromycin can alleviate it.