Effect of Huayu Qutan Recipe in Regulating Aortic MAPK Pathway-related Gene Expression in Atherosclerosis Mice / 中国实验方剂学杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective: To investigate the expression changes of mitogen activated protein kinase(MAPK) signaling pathway-related genes in ApoE-/- mice and the intervention effect of Huayu Qutan recipe on them, in order to explore the anti-atherosclerotic(AS) effect and possible mechanism of Huayu Qutan recipe. Method: Fifty ApoE-/- mice were randomly divided into model group, tanshinone ⅡA group (30 mg·kg-1·d-1), and high-dose phlegm group (20 g·kg-1·d-1), the middle-dose group (10 g·kg-1·d-1), and the low-dose group (5 g·kg-1·d-1), and 10 C57BL/6/J mice were included in the blank controls group. Automated biochemical analyzer was used to detect serum triglyceride(TG), cholesterol(TC), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol(HDL-C), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol(LDL-C) content; hematoxylin-eosin(HE) was used to detect aortic plaque in each group; oil red O was used to detect liver lipid deposition in each group; enzyme-linked immuno sorbent assay(ELISA) was used to determine vascular cell adhesion protein-1(VCAM-1), intercellular adhesion molecule-1(ICAM-1), interleukin-6(IL-6), tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α) in serum of each group; Western blot was performed to detect c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK), phosphorylated c-Jun N-terminal kinase(p-JNK), c-Jun N-terminal kinase(JNK), p38 MAPK, p-p38 MAPK, extracellular regulated protein kinases (ERK), and expression of p-ERK. Result: Compared with the blank control group, serum TC, TG, LDL-C levels in the model group were significantly increased, while HDL-C levels were significantly decreased; aortic plaques were observed in the aortic lumen, and lots of lipid deposition were observed in the liver cells. Serum inflammatory factors TNF-α, IL-6, VCAM-1, ICAM-1 increased(PPα, IL-6, VCAM-1 and ICAM-1 were decreased. The expressions of p-p38 MAPK and p-JNK genes in intravascular associated MAPK signaling pathway were significantly decreased. p-ERK expression trend was not obvious(PConclusion: Huayu Recipe can inhibit the formation of aortic plaque in ApoE-/- mice, and its mechanism may be related to the regulation of vascular MAPK signaling pathway gene expression.