title: The effect of combination therapy of allicin and fenofibrate on high fat diet-induced vascular endothelium dysfunction and liver damage in rats.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  It is designed to investigate the effects of combination therapy of allicin and fenofibrate on the endothelial and liver functions in rats with hyperlipidemia.
  
  
  METHODS
  The healthy male Wistar rats fed high fat diet were treated with fenofibrate (80 mg/kg per day) alone, allicin (60 mg/kg per day) alone and a lower dosage of combined therapy (allicin 20 mg/kg per day and fenofibrate 30 mg/kg per day) respectively for 8 weeks. The serum levels of cholesterol, triglyceride, nitrogen oxidative, alanine transferase (ALT) and aspartate transferase (AST) were determined. Acetylcholine-induced endothelium-dependent vascular relaxation (EDVR) of aorta rings was tested, and the morphologic changes of liver tissue were observed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Compared with high fat diet control, fenofibrate alone or the combined therapy increased remarkably the levels of high density lipoprotein respectively (P<0.05). Both single and combined therapy of fenofibrate and allicin significantly enhanced the levels of NO (P<0.01 or P<0.05), but the combined therapy had greatest high EDVR responses (P<0.01). Furthermore, the reduced levels of ALT and AST were significantly obvious in the combined therapy groups (P<0.01 or P<0.05). In addition, the lower dosage of combined therapy significantly ameliorated severe fatty degeneration of liver cells occurred in the high fat diet fed rat although the single fenofibrate treatment showed spotty necrosis of liver cells and bile duct expansion.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Combination therapy with allicin and fenofibrate can effectively enhance the protective effects on endothelial function and reduce the hepatic damage in rats with hyperlipidemia.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Atherosclerosis and Department of Basic Medicine, Taishan Medical University, Taian, Shandong 271000, China.
authors.forename: Weihong
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Daxin
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Guohua
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Song
authors.forename: Chunxia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Zuo
authors.forename: Xianfu
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Qiao
authors.forename: Shucun
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Qin
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004041:Dietary Fats / Q000009:adverse effects*; D004220:Disulfides; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000187:drug effects*; D011345:Fenofibrate / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000960:Hypolipidemic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008099:Liver / Q000187:drug effects*; D008107:Liver Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D013441:Sulfinic Acids / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D004041:Dietary Fats; D004220:Disulfides; D000960:Hypolipidemic Agents; D013441:Sulfinic Acids; C006452:allicin; D011345:Fenofibrate