title: [Effect of dachaihutang on expression of carnitine patmitoryl transferase-1 in vascular smooth muscle layer of atherosclerotic rabbits].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the therapeutic effect of Dachaihutang on the development of atherosclerosis (AS) in rabbits and its possible mechanism by detecting the expression level of carnitine patmitoyl transferase-1 (CPT-1) in vascular smooth muscle layer of atherosclerotic rabbits, and search the new way and evidence for AS cures.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty six male New Zealand white rabbits were divided randomly into control group, model control group, simvastatin group and Chinese traditional medicine dachaihutang group. After 9 weeks and 20 weeks of treatment, serum total cholesterol (TC) and triglyceride (TG) and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) levels were examined. At the end of 25 th weeks, histological changes in ascending aorta were studied by HE staining and histomorphometric analysis. The gene expression of CPT-1 in vascular smooth muscle layer of thoracic aorta was detected by semi-quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Compared with model control group, in dachaihutang group serum TC and TG and LDL levels attenuated. Pathomorphology indicated that intima and media (I + M) became thinned, and the ratios of the thickness of intima to media(I/M) and the area of intima to media (SI/SM) were decreased (P < 0.05). Aortic intimal proliferation in Dachaihutang group was associated with a marked increase in CPT-1 expression in vascular smooth muscle layer of thoracic aorta. Compared to simvastatin group, except TG value, other values were higher in Dachaihutang group, however, there were no significant differences between the two groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These findings suggest that early treatment with Dachaihutang not only induces a significant regression of arterial lesions of high cholesterol diet rabbits, but also has a crucial inhibited genesis and development of atherosclerosis effect by up-regulating CPT-1 expression in vascular smooth muscle layer.
authors: Anhui Medical Scientific Institute, Hefei 230061, China. xuanliu007@126.com
authors: Liu
authors: L
authors: Xuan
authors: Xiaoqing
authors: X
authors: Li
authors: Xiaorong
authors: X
authors: Sheng
authors: Mingsheng
authors: M
authors: Xu
authors: Xun
authors: X
authors: Che
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001011:Aorta / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000201:enzymology; D050197:Atherosclerosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000235:genetics; D002334:Carnitine O-Palmitoyltransferase / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000494:pharmacology*; D015870:Gene Expression / Q000187:drug effects*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D032389:Myocytes, Smooth Muscle / Q000187:drug effects / Q000201:enzymology*; D011817:Rabbits; D011897:Random Allocation
chemical_list: D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; D002334:Carnitine O-Palmitoyltransferase