[Study on mechanism of yangxincao capsule in regulating lipid metabolism].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect and mechanism of Yangxincao Capsule (YXCC) in regulating lipids. METHODS: Sixty rats were randomly divided into 6 groups, the normal control group (A), the hyperlipidemia model group (B), the high, middle and low dose YXCC treated groups (C, D and E), and the Shanzhajing (SZJ) treated group (F) for positive medicine control. Except for the rats in the normal control group, the other 50 were daily fed with fatty emulsion for 10 days to establish hyperlipidemic model. From the I th day on, in the same time of continually feeding with fatty emulsion they were administered with water, high (1.08 g/kg), middle (0.54 g/kg), low dose (0.27 g/kg) of YXCC and SZJ (5.4 mg/kg) respectively for 10 days, while to rats in Group A equal volume of water was given. At the 21th day, after rats were fasted for 16 h, their blood was extracted from post-orbital vein to detect the level of serum lipids, lipoprotein, apolipoprotein (apo) and lipid metabolic enzyme. RESULTS: Compared with Group A, the levels of serum total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG) and low density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C) increased remarkably, and the level of high density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-C) dropped obviously in Group B. While in the four treated groups the levels of TC, TG and LDL-C were significantly reduced, HDL-C and its sub-components 2 and 3 (HDL2-C and HDL3-C), as well as the ratio of HDL-C/TC were raised. Besides, the content of apo-Al was increased and apo-B was decreased significantly in Group C and D, activity of lecithin cholesterol acyltransferase (LCAT) and lipoprotein lipase (LPL) increased in the three YXCC treated groups, all showed statistical significance (P < 0.05 or P < 0.01) as compared with those in Group B. CONCLUSION: YXCC could remarkably modulate the lipid metabolic disorder in hyperlipidemic rats, and has a certain bi-directional regulating function on lipoprotein, inferring that it could reduce the risk of occurring coronary artery diseases. The mechanism of regulating lipid metabolism might be related with the increasing activity of LCAT, LPL and eliminating of cholesterol by the elevated level of HDL2-C.

[Pharmacodynamical study on Danqi capsule].

OBJECTIVE: To assess the pharmacodynamical actions of Danqi capsule which was reported to promote blood circulation by removing blood stasis, regulation Danqi and relieving pain so as to be used to treat thoracic obstruction, headache, menstrual pain in clinic. METHOD: To compare the pharmacologic effects of Danqi capsule Danqi tablet in the rats with acute myocardial ischemia and the mice with the increased oxygen-consumption induced by isoproterenol injected subcutaneously. The pain models were prepared by injection of acetic acid and uterospasm model in the female mouse was induced by diethylstilbestrol and pitocin. A hyperlipidemia model was also made in the rats. RESULT: Danqi capsule could significantly improve ECG in myocardial ischemia of rats induced by isoproterenol and prolong the mice survival time under hypoxic situation. In the experiment to observe the pain response with body twist as a index induced by acetic acid and uterospasm induced by diethylstilbestrol and pitocin, Danqi capsule could significantly shorten the latency and the time course of body twist. The contents of triglyceride(TG) and total cholesterol(TC) were decreased, while the level of high-density liporotein-cholesterol(HDL-c) was increased after treatment of Danqi capsule in in the rats with hyperlipidemia. Hemorheological data showed that the blood viscosity, blood reductive viscosity, erythrocyte rigidity index and electrophoresis time were significantly decreased by Danqi capsule in the animal model mentioned above as compared with control group (P < 0.05 or P < 0.01). In addition, the dose of Danqi capsule is less than that of Danqi tablet for producing equivalent effect. CONCLUSION: Danqi capsule plays a good role in improving myocardial ischemia, increasing the tolerant ability against oxygen-deficiency, alleviating pain and descending the levels of blood fat and blood viscosity.

[Comparison of animal models of hyperlipidemia].

OBJECTIVE: To select the proper experimental animal model for research on prevention and treatment of hyperlipidemia. METHOD: Hyperlipidemia models of mouse, rat, golden hamster, guinea pig, rabbit, pigeon and quail often used in the last ten years were compared. RESULTS: Golden hamster and guinea pig models are similar to human beings in lipid metabolism and have unique superiority in experimental study, while the models of rat, mouse, pigeon and quail have significant difference as compared with human beings. Rabbit is one of the best animal models in studying new drugs for regulating lipid and treating arteriosclerosis. CONCLUSION: Factors such as the required time, indexes, the duration of making models, and the cost and feeding of animals should be considered in selecting animal models according with the experimental requirements.