Antiatherogenic and Anti-Ischemic Properties of Traditional Chinese Medicine Xinkeshu via Endothelial Protecting Function

Abstract

Including herbal medicine, complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is popular worldwide. The traditional Chinese medicine xinkeshu has been widely used to treat coronary heart disease in China. This study was designed to investigate the protective effect and probable mechanism of xinkeshu tablet to atherosclerotic myocardial ischemia rabbit. Rabbits were divided into four groups (n = 12 each) and fed with different diet for 12 weeks: Control (standard diet), Model (high-cholesterol diet), XKS (high-cholesterol diet with 184.8 mg/kg/d xinkeshu), and Atorvastatin (high-cholesterol diet with 5.0 mg/kg/d atorvastatin). Plasma lipoprotein, ECG, endothelium-dependent vessel relaxation, histomorphological study, and expressions of eNOS and VCAM-1 on coronary arteries were assessed. The findings showed that, similar to atorvastatin, xinkeshu presented significant effects on rescuing endothelium-dependent vessel relaxation, inhibiting atherosclerotic progress, preventing myocardial ischemia, and changing eNOS and VCAM-1 expression. However, xinkeshu showed no lipoprotein lowering effect in hypercholesterolemia rabbits. The results of the present study indicated that xinkeshu exerted potent antiatherogenic and anti-ischemic properties on atherosclerotic myocardial ischemia rabbit. An endothelial protecting effect may be involved in the mechanism other than antihyperlipidemic effect.

Figure 1

The experimental design. H-ChE, 2% cholesterol ester; XKS, Xinkeshu; VP, vasopressin; ECG, electrocardiogram; EDVR, endothelium-dependent vessel relaxation; eNOS, endothelial nitric oxide synthase; VCAM-1, vascular cell adhesion molecule 1.

Figure 2

Max ST segment elevation in ECG after vasopressin administration.

Figure 3

Heart rate curves after vasopressin administration.

Figure 4

Endothelia-dependent vessel relaxation curves of abdominal aorta rings.

Figure 5

Atherosclerotic plaques on the intimal surface of aorta by Sudan IV staining.

Figure 6

Coronary stenosis by HE staining (light micrographs, middle 100×, left top 400×).

Figure 7

Existing of eNOS and VCAM-1 on coronary artery by immunohistochemistry staining (light micrographs, 400×).