Purpose:To observe the effect of So Feng Expectorant Chinese medicine on NLRP3 inflammatory vesicles in atherosclerotic unstable plaques of Apo E knockout mice.Material and method:Chinese herbal medicine for dispelling phlegm:whole scorpion,centipede,Dilong,Chen Pi,Fa Xian Xia,Atractylodes Macrocephalae,leech,processed into Chinese medicine concentrate containing 2 g/ml of raw herbs;atorvastatin calcium tablets: 10mg/tablet.The 6-week-old Apo E knockout mice were fed with high-fat diet for 13 weeks to establish an atherosclerotic unstable plaque model,and were randomly divided into model group,low,medium and high dose groups of So Feng Expectorant,and atorvastatin group;another 6-week-old C57BL/6J mice were set up as a blank control group.The blank control group and the model group were given 0.9% saline gavage,and different doses of So Feng Expectorant Chinese medicine soup and atorvastatin tablets were given to the So Feng Expectorant Chinese medicine low,medium and high dose groups and the atorvastatin group,respectively.13 weeks later,the mice were executed,and the plaque area was observed by HE staining,and the total cholesterol(TC)and triglyceride(TC)were measured by biochemical auto-analyzer.Total cholesterol(TC),triglyceride(TG),low-density lipoprotein cholesterol(LDL-C),high-density lipoprotein cholesterol(HDL-C)were measured by biochemical auto-analyzer.The expression levels of NLRP3,caspase-1 and ASC in each group of mice were detected by Western Blot,and the expression levels of NLRP3,caspase-1,ASC m RNA were detected by RT-PCR.Results:1.HE staining results of mice in each group showed that in the blank control group: no plaque was seen in the abdominal aorta of mice,and the intima was smooth and intact.Model group:mice with broken abdominal aortic wall,a large number of foam cells were seen to accumulate,leading to intimal thickening and the formation of atherosclerotic plaques.So Feng Expectorant Chinese medicine low,medium and high dose groups as well as atorvastatin group: the intima of abdominal aorta had different degrees of plaque,but its area was smaller than that of the model group,among which the plaque area of So Feng Expectorant Chinese medicine medium dose group was the smallest.Compared with the model group,the plaque areas in each dose group of Soufeng expectorant and atorvastatin group were significantly reduced.2.The results of blood lipid assay in all groups of mice showed that compared with the blank control group,TC,TG and LDL-C contents in the model group were increased(P<0.05);HDL-C contents were decreased(P<0.05);compared with the model group,TG,TC and LDL-C contents in each dose group of So Feng Expectorant Chinese medicine and Atorvastatin group were decreased(P<0.05),and HDL-C contents were increased(P<0.05).3.The results of Western Blot detection of NLRP3,caspase-1 and ASC protein expression in the abdominal aorta of mice showed that compared with the blank control group,NLRP3,caspase-1 and ASC protein contents were increased in the model group(P<0.05);compared with the model group,NLRP3,caspase-1 and ASC protein contents in each dose group of So Feng Expectorant Chinese medicine and Atorvastatin group were caspase-1,ASC protein content were decreased in the model group(P<0.05).4.The results of RT-PCR method to detect the m RNA expression of NLRP3 caspa,se-1,ASC,in the abdominal aorta of mice in each group showed that the m RNA expression levels of NLRP3,caspase-1,ASC were increased in the model group compared with the blank control group(P < 0.05);compared with the model group,the m RNA expression levels of NLRP3,caspase-1,ASC in the model group were decreased(P < 0.05).The expression levels of NLRP3,caspase-1,ASC m RNA were decreased in the model group compared with the atorvastatin group(P < 0.05).Conclusion:1.Searching for wind and expectorant herbs can improve lipid levels and stabilize plaque in atherosclerotic mice to a certain extent,thus providing a protective effect on blood vessels.2.So Feng Expectorant Chinese medicine can inhibit the progression of cellular inflammatory response,down-regulate the expression of NLRP3 inflammatory vesicles,and have a certain inhibitory effect on the production of inflammatory factors such as NLRP3,caspase-1,ASC,which may be one of the molecular mechanisms of So Feng Expectorant Chinese medicine for the early treatment of atherosclerosis. |