ABSTRACT
AIM: To study the effects of vitamins on vascular activity elements in rabbits with atherosclerosis risk factors to determine whether vitamins have a role in preventing atherosclerosis. METHODS: 26 male Chinese rabbits were randomly divided into 3 groups. The first group was fed with normal feed as control group (n=6) .The other two groups were fed with normal feed plus cholesterol, lard and methionine as model group (n=10) and vitamin treatment group (n=10) respectively. In addition, the vitamin group was given multi-vitamin daily by gastrogavage. The experiment lasted for 8 wk. The vascular activity elements of the three groups were detected by radioimmunoassay and nitrate reductase respectively ,and the aorta pathological sample was prepared. RESULTS: In model group, the levels of plasma endothelin and thromboxane B 2/6-keto-prostaglandin F l? were significantly increased compared with control group, but serum nitric oxide showed no obvious changes between both groups. In vitamin group, the levels of plasma endothelin and thromboxane B 2 were significantly decreased, and the levels of 6-keto-prostaglandin F1? and nitric oxide were significantly increased compared with model group. In model group, there were significant pathological lesions, but the lesion was decreased by vitamin treatment. CONCLUTION: The vitamins supplement can alleviate or block the impairment of vascular endothelia caused by atherosclerosis risk factors, and help adjust the equilibrium of vascular activity elements. Therefore vitamins may play a positive role in preventing atherosclerosis.
ABSTRACT
AIMTo observe the effect of grape seed proanthocyanidi n (GSP) on the lipid profile of atherosclerosis in rabbits. METHODS24 male New Zealand rabbits were randomized into three groups with 8 rabbits in each group. They were individually housed in metal cages in an air-condition ed room. Throughout the experimental period, they were given restricted amounts of food (100～120 g/head per day) of each diet, with no limit of drinking. The c ontrol group (group A) were fed with standard diet. The cholesterol group (group B) was fed with standard diet containing 1% cholesterol. The GSP group (group C ) were fed with standard diet containing 1% cholesterol plus 1% GSP. All the rab bits were fed for twelve weeks. Blood samples were drawn from ear middle arterie s of rabbits just before the experiment and at the first, the second, the forth, the eighth and the twelfth weekend of the experiment. All the rabbits were fast ed for at least eight hours before the blood was drawn. The blood samples were a nalyzed for total cholesterol (TC), low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) , triglyceride (TG), and high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) and they were measured enzymatically by automatic facilities. Aorta samples were observed through optical microscope. Results were expressed as means ?s. The Mixed Procedure of SAS 8 2 software was used to evaluate the differences betwee n the cholesterol group and the GSP group. RESULTSCompared with the group B, the TC,LDL-C,TG and the TG/HDL-C were lowered markedly by dietary GSP at the twelfth weekend (P
