| Aims:The hyperlipaemia and atherosclerosis model using ApoE-deficient mice received high-fat diet was adopted to investigate the peripheral blood monocytes-mediated immunoregulatory mechanism of a well-known Chinese herbal formula Huang-Lian-Jie-Du-Tang and berberine, key component of Coptidis rhizome which is the principal drug in the Huang-Lian-Jie-Du-Tang.Methods:Forty-five ApoE-/- mice received high-fat diet were divided into three groups randomly: model control group,HLJDT group and berberine group (n=15). Thirty C57BL/6 mice were divided into two groups randomly:normal control group and high-fat control group (n=15). HLJDT (5g/kg) and berberine (200mg/kg) was orally administered daily for 4 weeks in the HLJDT group and berberine group, respectively. The pathologic change of atherosclerosis model was evaluated by histological staining, and changes of immunological properties of monocytes were detected by flow cytometry.Results:The concentrations of TC and TG show no significant difference in the HLJDT group and the berberine group compared with the model control group. The proportion of peripheral blood monocytes and the expression of CD36 on monocytes in the HLJDT group and the berberine group were lower than in the model control group, and the expression of CD80 and CD86 on monocytes and percentage of monocytes subpopulations show no remarkable differences compared with the model control group. However, the expression of TLR-4 on monocytes in the berberine group was higher than in the model control group.Conclusions:Compared with normal C57BL/6, the proportion of monocytes in peripheral blood and the expression of CD36 on monocytes in the ApoE-/- mice received high-fat diet increased significantly, HLJDT could improve this immunologic derangement in a blood lipid-independent manner, as well as berberine. However, the immunoregulatory mechanism of berberine was not as same as that of HLJDT completely. |
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