title: Celastrol may have an anti-atherosclerosis effect in a rabbit experimental carotid atherosclerosis model.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Celastrol may have an anti-atherosclerosis effect. This study aimed to investigate if celastrol had an anti-AS effect using a rabbit experimental carotid atherosclerosis model.
  
  
  METHODS
  Forty male Japanese white rabbits were divided into the sham group (normal diet), the model group (high fat diet), the group treated with celastrol (high fat diet) and the group treated with atorvastatin (high fat diet) randomly. The rabbits fed a high fat diet underwent balloon injury of the right common carotid artery and were treated with dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) (the model group, 3.5 ml/kg/d), celastrol and its dissolvent DMSO (the celastrol group, 1 mg/kg/d and 3.5 ml/kg/d) and atorvastatin and its dissolvent DMSO (the atorvastatin group, 2.5 mg/kg/d and 3.5 ml/kg/d) for 12 weeks by gavage.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The ratio of the plaque area and the arterial wall cross-section area in the celastrol group was significantly less than the model group (P < 0.001), and there was no significant difference compared with the atorvastatin group. The serum level of LDL-C of the celastrol group was significantly lower than the model group (P = 0.014), and there was no significant difference compared with the atorvastatin group. The expression of VEGF in the celastrol group was significantly less compared with the model group (P = 0.014), whereas the expression of VEGF in the atorvastatin group and the model group showed no significant differences.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our findings suggest that celastrol effectively reduced the plaque ratio, decreased the serum levels of LDL and downregulated the expression of VEGF, suggesting an anti-AS effect of celastrol.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Taizhou Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical College Taizhou, Zhejiang Province, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Feng
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Taizhou Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical College Taizhou, Zhejiang Province, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Cai
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Taizhou Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical College Taizhou, Zhejiang Province, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Xiao-Ping
authors.initials: XP
authors.lastname: Jin
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Taizhou Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical College Taizhou, Zhejiang Province, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Shou-Xiang
authors.initials: SX
authors.lastname: Weng
authors.affiliation: Department of General Practice, Taizhou Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical College Taizhou, Zhejiang Province, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Li-Long
authors.initials: LL
authors.lastname: Fan
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Taizhou Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical College Taizhou, Zhejiang Province, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Zhou
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Zheng
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Taizhou Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical College Taizhou, Zhejiang Province, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Wei-Ling
authors.initials: WL
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Taizhou Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical College Taizhou, Zhejiang Province, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Feng
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Taizhou Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical College Taizhou, Zhejiang Province, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Wan-Fen
authors.initials: WF
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Taizhou Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical College Taizhou, Zhejiang Province, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Xiao-Fei
authors.initials: XF
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Taizhou Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical College Taizhou, Zhejiang Province, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Chen-Ling
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Lv
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Taizhou Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical College Taizhou, Zhejiang Province, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Peng
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Liu
keywords: Celastrol; balloon injury; carotid artery disease; low-density lipoprotein cholesterol; vascular endothelial growth factor