title: [Experimental study on mechanism of Shugan Qingzhi Granule for stabilizing or reducing the plaque of atherosclerosis].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To explore the mechanism of Shugan Qingzhi Granule (SGQZG) for reducing blood lipids level and anti-atherosclerosis.
  
  
  METHODS
  Hyperlipidemia rabbit model was established by high-fat diet. Sixty New Zealand rabbits were randomly divided into 6 groups, the model group (A), the high and low dose SGQZG group (B and C), the Chinese medicine control group (D), the Western medicine control group (E), and the normal group (F), 10 in each group. The effect of SGQZG on vascular endothelial functions was determined by biochemistry and radioimmunoassay; activity of oxidized low-density lipoprotein (ox-LDL) and tumor necrosis factors CD40/CD40L analyzed by ELISA; and matrix metalloproteinase-2 and -9 (MMP-2 and MMP-9) detected using RT-PCR.
  
  
  RESULTS
  As compared with the model group (Group A) the ox-LDL level was lower in Group B-F, MMP-2 and MMP-9 were lower and TIMP-2 was higher in Group B, C and E, all showed statistical significance (P <0.01).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  SGQZG may alleviate and regress the genesis and development of atherosclerosis through preventing the adhesion of inflammatory cells, inhibiting proliferation and migration of smooth muscle cells, and reducing the production of extracellular matrix to stabilize the plaque.
authors.affiliation: The First Affiliated Hospital of Liaoning Traditional Chinese Medical University, Shenyang. yurui1969@163.com
authors.forename: Rui
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: Ping
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Xu
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D050197:Atherosclerosis / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000503:physiopathology; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D008055:Lipids / Q000097:blood; D008077:Lipoproteins, LDL / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D020778:Matrix Metalloproteinase 2 / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics; D020780:Matrix Metalloproteinase 9 / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics; D008517:Phytotherapy; D011817:Rabbits; D011897:Random Allocation; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
chemical_list: D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; D008055:Lipids; D008077:Lipoproteins, LDL; C099252:oxidized low density lipoprotein; C533615:shugan qingzhi; D020778:Matrix Metalloproteinase 2; D020780:Matrix Metalloproteinase 9