[Protective Effects of Angelica sinensis Volatile Oil on Atherosclerosis in Hyperlipidemia Mice].

Objective: To study the protective effects of Angelica sinensis volatile oil on atherosclerosis in hyperlipidemia mice.

Methods: 60 mice were randomly divided into normal control group, model group, fluvastatin group, and high-, medium- and low-dose groups of Angelica sinensis volatile oil. Normal control group were fed with normal diet, the other groups were fed with high fat diet, and treated orally Vitamin D3 (100 million IU/kg) daily for 42 d. At the 14th day after modeling, fluvastatin group were orally administrated fluvastatin (6.7 mg /kg), and high-, medium- and low-doses of Angelica sinensis volatile oil groups were orally administrated Angelica sinensis volatile oil (40, 20, 10 mg /kg) for 28 d, and the normal control group and model group were administrated equal volume normal saline. The activity state, body weight and the levels of TC, TG, HDL-C and LDL-C in serum were measured. The atherosclerosis indexes (AI1, AI2), coronary heart index (R-CHR) were calculated. After the mice were killed, the heart, liver and abdominal aortas were taken. The mass of the heart and liver were measured, and the organ indexes were calculated; the tissues were fixed by formalin, embedded in paraffin, sliced, HE stained, and the histopathology changes were observed by microscope.

Results: Compared with normal control group, the body weight of mice in the model group were decreased (P＜0.01), and the heart, liver indexes were significantly increased (P＜0.05), the levels TC, TG, LDL-C and HDL-C in serum and AI1, AI2 and R-CHR were significantly increased after modeling 42 d (P < 0.01). Compared with the model group, the mice body weight were significantly increased, and the heart, liver index were significantly decreased (P＜0.05) in the high-, middle-dose group of Angelica sinensis volatile oil groups; the TC, TG and LDL-C levels were significantly decreased in low-dose group (P＜0.05 or P＜0.01); AI1 and R-CHR were significantly decreased (P＜0.05 or P＜0.01) in all Angelica sinensis volatile oil groups, but the AI2 in the high-dose group of Angelica sinensis volatile oil was significantly decreased (P＜0.05). The histopathology results showed that Angelica sinensis volatile oil could relieve the fatty degeneration of hepatic cells and the injury of thoracic aortic intimae, and myocardial fibrosis, which could inhibit the formation of atherosclerotic plaque.

Conclusion: The certain protective effects of Angelica sinensis volatile oil are determinated on atherosclerosis in hyperlipidemia mice.