Effect of Qingre Quyu Granule (清热祛瘀颗粒) on stabilizing plaques in the brachiocephalic artery of apolipoprotein E deficient mice.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the effect of Qingre Quyu Granule (清热祛瘀颗粒, QRQYG) on stabilizing vulnerable plaques in apolipoprotein E (ApoE) deficient mice.


METHODS
Seventy-two male ApoE deficient mice were given a high-fat diet from 6 weeks of age. At the 16th week, all the mice were randomized into 3 groups: the QRQYG group, the simvastatin group, and the control group. Sixteen weeks after administration of 0.9 g/kg QRQYG, 3 mg/kg simvastatin or 10 mg/kg sodium chloride per day to the respective groups, the animals were euthanized. The pathological morphologic changes in the vulnerable plaques were evaluated, the matrix metalloprotease-9 (MMP-9) expression was measured by immunohistofluorescence, the soluble intercellular adhesion molecule 1 (ICAM-1) was determined by ELISA, the nuclear factor kappaB (NF-κB) subunit p65 was measured by quantitative RT-PCR, and, finally, thrombospondin-1 (TSP-1) was determined by the immunohistochemical method.


RESULTS
The plaque cross-sectional area in the brachiocephalic artery (23.7%, P<0.01), the lipid core of the plaque (43.1%±3.1%), and the number of buried fibrotic caps of the plaque were significantly decreased in the QRQYG group compared to the control group (both P<0.01); furthermore, the thickness of the fibrotic cap of the plaque increased and the intra-plaque hemorrhage of the plaque decreased. The serum soluble ICAM-1 (27.1±5.1 μg/mL), the protein expression of MMP-9 and TSP-1 and the p65 mRNA expression increased in the QRQYG group in comparison with the control group (P<0.05 or P<0.01).


CONCLUSIONS
QRQYG could stabilize the vulnerable plaque through inhibition of the inflammatory response.
Wang
Yong
Y
Department of Cardiology, People's Hospital, Wuhan University, China.
Cheng
Wen-li
WL
Ke
Yuan-nan
YN
Cai
Zhe
Z
Chen
Li
L
Xi
Yuan
Y
Wang
Pu
P
Guo
Jian
J
Li
Hong
H
Huang
Cong-xin
CX
D000818:Animals; D001057:Apolipoproteins E / Q000235:genetics*; D050197:Atherosclerosis / Q000473:pathology*; D016122:Brachiocephalic Trunk / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000201:enzymology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D018799:Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1 / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D020780:Matrix Metalloproteinase 9 / Q000378:metabolism; D051379:Mice; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D016328:NF-kappa B / Q000378:metabolism; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D019821:Simvastatin / Q000494:pharmacology; D012965:Sodium Chloride / Q000494:pharmacology; D019700:Thrombospondin 1 / Q000378:metabolism
D001057:Apolipoproteins E; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; D016328:NF-kappa B; D019700:Thrombospondin 1; D018799:Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1; D012965:Sodium Chloride; D019821:Simvastatin; D020780:Matrix Metalloproteinase 9