title: Effect of Si-Miao-Yong-An on the stability of atherosclerotic plaque in a diet-induced rabbit model.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Si-Miao-Yong-An (Trade name: Mai-Luo-Ning), a Chinese herbal formulation comprising Flos Lonicerae Japonicae, Radix Scrophulariae Ningpoensis, Radix Angelicae Sinensis and Radix Glycyrrhizae Uralensis, has been used in treating ischemic cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases for many years. Clinical and experimental studies have shown that Si-Miao-Yong-An can inhibit the inflammatory response and antagonize the blood clotting process.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the effect of Si-Miao-Yong-An on atherosclerotic plaque stability in rabbit model.
  
  
  METHODS
  Seventy male rabbits were divided into four groups. Rabbits in the normal group were fed with normal diet, while rabbits in model group and drug treatment groups were fed with high cholesterol diet, underwent BSA-induced immunologic injury and balloon-induced mechanical injury. After atherosclerotic rabbits were treated with simvastatin or Si-Miao-Yong-An for 16 weeks, blood and aorta in four groups were collected for analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Si-Miao-Yong-An reduced the level of triglycerides (TG) and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) in blood after treatment for 16 weeks. Compared with model group, Si-Miao-Yong-An decreased the content of many inflammatory cytokines in blood and plaque. Morphological analysis of abdominal aorta showed that Si-Miao-Yong-An increased fibrous cap thickness and smooth muscle cells, reduced lipid core area and macrophages, and contributed to inhibit matrix degradation and inflammatory response.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In this study, we provided evidence for that Si-Miao-Yong-An could promote the stability of atherosclerotic plaque in the rabbit model, indicating that this medicine was a reasonable drug treating cardiovascular diseases in clinical.
authors: Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, First Teaching Hospital of Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, 300193 Tianjin, PR China. ppeng465@qq.com
authors: Li
authors: L
authors: Peng
authors: Ming
authors: M
authors: Li
authors: Ying-Zhi
authors: YZ
authors: Xu
authors: Guang-Yin
authors: GY
authors: Zhang
authors: Cui
authors: C
authors: Yang
authors: Ya-Nan
authors: YN
authors: Zhou
authors: Liang-Jun
authors: LJ
authors: Li
authors: Jun-Ping
authors: JP
authors: Zhang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001012:Aorta, Abdominal / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology; D050197:Atherosclerosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D001777:Blood Coagulation / Q000187:drug effects; D002791:Cholesterol, Dietary / Q000097:blood*; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL / Q000097:blood; D016207:Cytokines / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D007249:Inflammation / Q000378:metabolism / Q000517:prevention & control; D018836:Inflammation Mediators / Q000378:metabolism; D008055:Lipids / Q000097:blood*; D008264:Macrophages / Q000378:metabolism; D019684:Magnoliopsida; D008297:Male; D032389:Myocytes, Smooth Muscle / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology; D008517:Phytotherapy; D058226:Plaque, Atherosclerotic / Q000097:blood / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000188:drug therapy*; D011817:Rabbits; D019821:Simvastatin / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents; D002791:Cholesterol, Dietary; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL; D016207:Cytokines; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; D018836:Inflammation Mediators; D008055:Lipids; D014280:Triglycerides; C534919:mailuoning; D019821:Simvastatin