[Effects of jingtian tongmai recipe on atherosclerotic plaque in rabbits].

Objective: To evaluate the inhibiting effects of Jingtian Tongmai Recipe (JTTMR) in different dosages on atherosclerotic plaque using the arteriosclerosis rabbit model induced by high cholesterol diet supplemented with immunological injury.

Methods: Fifty-four healthy New Zealand rabbits were randomly divided into six groups: the normal control group, the model group, the Xuezhikang (XZK) treated group and the three JTTMR treated groups treated respectively with low (1.29 g/kg/day), medium (2.57 g/kg/day) and high (5.14 g/kg/day) dosage of JTTMR. Indexes including serum lipids, C-reactive protein (CRP), and area ratio of aortic plaque/intima (PIR), and intima-media thickness ratio (IMT) were examined.

Results: Comparison of blood lipids showed that serum levels of total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG) and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) were higher significantly in the model group than in the normal group (P<0.05); TC and LDL-C were lower in the XZK group and the JTTMR groups than in the model group (P<0.05); and these indexes were significantly lower in the medium dose JTTMR group than those in the low and high dose JTTMR groups (P<0.05); while no significant difference of TG between the model group, the JTTMR groups and the XZK group were observed (P>0.05). As for level of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), that in the XZK group and high dose JTTMR group was higher than that in the other 4 groups (P<0.05). Comparison of CRP showed that it was higher in the model group than in the normal group (P<0.05), while the difference among the other 4 groups was insignificant (P>0.05). No plaque and increase of intima/media thickness was found in the normal group; either PIR or IMT were lesser in the JTTMR groups than those in the model group (P<0.05), and comparison among the three JTTMR groups showed those in the medium dose group was the least (P<0.05).

Conclusion: JTTMR has arteriosclerosis inhibiting effect, which might be realized through its anti-inflammatory and lipids regulating actions, but the effects are not dose-dependent. The optimal effect is showed by using medium dose of JTTMR, equivalent to the dose used for human adult.