Effects of QiDanTongMai Tablets on nitric oxide content in serum and gene expression of endothelium nitric oxide synthase in artery vessels of experimental atherosclerotic rats

    WANG Zongª²Ren, MA Aiª²Ling, ZHENG Jin, ZHANG Zhongª²Hai, SU Mingª²Quan, FANG Kunª²Quan, YUE Qiaoª²Hong, LI Liª²Wen, ZHANG Jianª²Fang

    1Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine, 2Department of Clinical Laboratory, 3Department of Pharmacy, 4Department of Orthopaedics, Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi¡¯an 710033, China

    ¡¾Abstract¡¿ AIM: To investigate the effects of QiDanTongMai Tablets (QDTMT) on the content of nitric oxide in the serum and the gene expression of endothelium nitric oxide synthase in artery vessels of experimental atherosclerotic rats. METHODS: Seventyª²two healthy male SD rats were divided randomly into 6 groups, with 12 rats in each group: model group, control group, simvastatin group, QDTMT low dosage group (QDTMTª²L), QDTMT moderate dosage group (QDTMTª²M) and QDTMT high dosage group (QDTMTª²H). The rat model of atherosclerosis (AS) was established by feeding high cholesterol diet and vitamin D3. Naphthylamide heavy nitrogen spectrophotography was adopted to detect the content of nitric oxide in the serum and halfª²quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RTª²PCR) was used to detect eNOS gene expression in artery vessels. The nitric oxide content changes and the gene expression of eNOS in artery vessels of each group were analyzed. RESULTS: The content of nitric oxide in the serum of model and each treated group was significantly higher than that in control group(P<0.01-0.05). The eNOS mRNA expression level in the model group was significantly lower than that in control group(P<0.01), but the eNOS mRNA expression level in each treated group was significantly higher than that in the model group (P<0.01-0.05). CONCLUSION: QDTMT can enhance the gene expression of eNOS in artery vessels of experimental atherosclerotic rats, which may be one of the antiª²atherosclerosis mechanisms of QDTMT. ......