| OBJECTIVE The 'Reponse-to -Injury of Hypothesis' proposes that the inflammatory response to the injury of arterial endothelium caused by several risk factors for cardiovascular disease (CAD) accelerates atherogenesis. Hypercholesterolemia is one of the major risk factors for atherogenesis. Vascular endothelium has attracted much attention of scientists and has been examined for its critical role in the preservation of normal vessel wall structure and function as endothelial cells control vascular permeability, vessel tone, coagulation, fibrinolysis, and inflammatory response accomplished by production of a variety of biologically active substances. It appears to be both a target and participant in the processes that product damages.Vascular endothelial cells injury, including structural injury and functional injury,is a postulated initial step in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis. So it is important to protect the function and stucture of endothelial cells from injury. This study was aimed to investigate the protctive effects of the effect parts of zingiber officinal (EPZ) on endothelium of the experimental hyperlipidemic rats and the mechanism of its effects. METHODS:60 male Wistar rats were randomly devided into 6 groups: normal group, EPZ low dose group(200mg/kg), EPZ middle dose group(400mg/kg), EPZ high dose group(800mg/kg), lovastatin group(20mg/kg).The rats in normal group were fed a regular diet for 13 weeks, others were fed a diet containing 3% cholesterol, 10% axungia after given bovine serum albumin (25mg/kg) by intravenous injection. On the 10-weekth day , the blood was taken from external jugular vein of the fasting rats for 12 hours to determine the serum TC,TG, HDL-C, SOD,MDA and anti-ROS activity. On the 13-weekth day , all the rats were killed after a fast of 12 hours, the blood was taken to determine the serum TC, TG> HDL-C again and NO> IL-6. TNF0> and plasm TXB2. 6-keto-PGFl a ,all the aortaes were taken to oberserve morphologic change. RESULTS: 1) On the 10-weekth day,in the model group ,the level of TC. TG> LDL-C were increased significantly and HDL-C decreased significantly compared with those of normal group.After drug treated 10 weeks,TG^ LDL-C were decreased significantly in middle or high dose group compared with those of model group.On the 13-weekth day,the serum TC > TG > LDL-C changed more obviously and HDL-C were increased significantly in middle and high dose group compared with those of model group. 2) In the model group, the level of serum MDA were increased significantly and SOD> anti-ROS activity were decreased significantly compared with those of normal group on the 10-weekth day .In EPZ middle and high dose group, the level of serum SOD> anti-ROS activity increased significantly and in high dose group the level of serum MDA decreased significantly compared with model group. 3) after 13 weeks, the serum NO and plasm 6-keto-PGFia were decreased significantly in model group compared with normal group.EPZ can promote EC release NO and PGI2. and the intima-media thickness of aorta were significantly higher in model group than it in normal group while it in all EPZ dose group were significantly lower than it in model group .4) After drug treated 13 weeks, the serum IL-6 > TNF a and plasm TXB2/6-keto-PGFia increased significantly in model group than normal group while plasm TXB2/6-keto-PGFia decreased significantly in all EPZ dose group. The serum IL-6 ?> TNF ? were also decreased but not significantly. CONCLUSIONS: The results of our study show that EPZ is an effective lipidemic regulator. It could increase the levels of serum SOD> NO^ anti-ROS activity. So EPZ might protect the endothelium of cholesterol-fed rats and play a good role in the prevention and treatment of hyperlipidemia and atherosclerosis. |
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