RECIPE OF REMOVING BOTH PHLEGM AND BLOOD STASIS INHIBITS ATHEROSCLEROSIS PROGRESSION AND PROMOTES PLAQUE STABILITY IN A RABBIT MODE

Objectives To explore the role of recipe of removing both phlegm and blood stasis in plaque progression and stabilisation in atherosclerotic rabbits. Methods After carotid artery adventitial injury, 30 male New Zealand White rabbits were fed with an atherogenic diet for 28 weeks. From week 8 to week 28, animals were randomly divided into three groups, respectively feeding with Danlou tablets (Removing Both Phlegm and Blood Stasis group), atorvastatin tablets (statin group), and vehicle as model controls. Every 4 weeks after intervention, testing blood lipid and plasma lipoprotein oxidation level, unit LDL-C content and its degree of oxidation back to normal, then all the rabbit were killed and their carotid artery, thoracic aorta, liver, ileum were taken out to undergo pathological examination. High pressure liquid chromatography combined with fluorescence detection, immunohistochemistry and real-time RT-PCR were performed to determine MDA content, expressions og high density lipoprotein receptor (SR-BI) and lectin sample oxidised low density lipoprotein receptor (LOX-1) in plaques and experssions of liver HMG CoA reductase, 7a-hydroxylase, acetyl-CoA carboxylase, cholesterol transport protein, glucose-6- phosphatase and ileal bile acid transporter. Results Compared with model control group, plasma LDL-C and its degree of oxidation had a significantly reduced in Removing Both Phlegm and Blood Stasis group (P Conclusions Recipe of removing both phlegm and blood stasis may inhibit progression of advanced atherosclerotic plaques and promotes plaque stability, probably by improving liver cholesterol metabolism, inhibiting plasma lipoprotein oxidation and adjusting expression of plaques associated apolipoprotein receptor.