Wu Min, Zhang Wen-Gao, Liu Long-Tao
Department of Cardiovascular Diseases, Guang'anmen Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100053, China.
Department of Cardiovascular Diseases, Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shandong, 250355, China.
Chin J Integr Med. 2017 Sep;23(9):689-695. doi: 10.1007/s11655-017-2416-x. Epub 2017 Sep 2.
To observe the effects of red yeast rice (RYR) on blood lipid levels, aortic atherosclerosis (AS), and plaque stability in apolipoprotein E gene knockout (ApoE-/-) mice.
Twenty-four ApoE-/- mice were fed with a high-fat diet starting from 6 weeks of age. Mice were randomized into three groups (n = 8 in each group): model group (ApoE-/- group), RYR group (ApoE-/- + RYR group), and simvastatin group (ApoE-/- + simvastatin group). Eight 6-week-old C57BL/6 mice were assigned as the control group and fed with a basic diet. After 36 weeks, plasma lipids and inflflammatory factors were measured. Aortic atherosclerotic lesions by microscope, scanning electron microscope and transmission electron microscope were observed. Plasma levels of interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) were measured with enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The level of high sensitivity C-reaction protein (Hs-CRP) was detected by the scattering immunoturbidimetric assay. Protein expression of matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) and nuclear factor κB (NF-κB) in aorta were tested by immunohistochemistry.
Compared with the model group, treatment with RYR significantly decreased the levels of total cholesterol, triglyceride, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, lipoprotein (a), and apolipoprotein B100 in ApoE-/- mice (P<0.01). Compared with the model group, treatment with RYR decreased the levels of Hs-CRP, IL-6, and TNF-α (P<0.01). RYR also reduced the protein levels of NF-κB and MMP-9 of the aorta.
RYR has the anti-atherosclerotic and stabilizing unstable plaque effects. The mechanism might be related to the inflflammatory signaling pathways.
观察红曲米（RYR）对载脂蛋白E基因敲除（ApoE-/-）小鼠血脂水平、主动脉动脉粥样硬化（AS）及斑块稳定性的影响。
24只ApoE-/-小鼠从6周龄开始给予高脂饮食。小鼠被随机分为三组（每组n = 8）：模型组（ApoE-/-组）、红曲米组（ApoE-/- + RYR组）和辛伐他汀组（ApoE-/- + 辛伐他汀组）。8只6周龄的C57BL/6小鼠作为对照组，给予基础饮食。36周后，检测血脂和炎症因子。通过显微镜、扫描电子显微镜和透射电子显微镜观察主动脉粥样硬化病变。采用酶联免疫吸附测定法检测血浆白细胞介素-6（IL-6）和肿瘤坏死因子-α（TNF-α）水平。通过散射免疫比浊法检测高敏C反应蛋白（Hs-CRP）水平。采用免疫组织化学法检测主动脉中基质金属蛋白酶-9（MMP-9）和核因子κB（NF-κB）的蛋白表达。
与模型组相比，红曲米治疗显著降低了ApoE-/-小鼠的总胆固醇、甘油三酯、低密度脂蛋白胆固醇、脂蛋白（a）和载脂蛋白B100水平（P<0.01）。与模型组相比，红曲米治疗降低了Hs-CRP、IL-6和TNF-α水平（P<0.01）。红曲米还降低了主动脉中NF-κB和MMP-9的蛋白水平。
红曲米具有抗动脉粥样硬化和稳定不稳定斑块的作用。其机制可能与炎症信号通路有关。
