Effects of stichopus variegatus compound on blood lipids and hyperplasiaof arterial tunica intima in atherosclerotic rabbits

Objective:To investigate the effects of Stichopus Variegatus Compound on blood lipids and thickness of intima in rabbits and its mechanisms.Methods:Thirty seven male New Zealand white rabbits were allocated randomly into 4 groups: normal control, modle group, Stichopus group, Simvastatin group. All rabbits were killed after 6 weeks and iliac arteries were removed. In every group, rabbit's lipids including TC, TG, HDL C, LDL C, apoAⅠ, apoB and Lp(a) were observed. With HE staining, artery morphology alterations were observed and the thickness of arterial intima and media were measured. The expression of growth factor bFGF, TGF β 1 and PDGF were observed by hybridization in situ. Results:The serum concentration of TC and LDL in Stichopus group was significantly lower than that in modle group (P 0.05 ). The thickness of intima and I/M in treatment group decvealed significantly compared with that in modle group (P 0.01 ).The expression of PDGF and TGF β 1 in treatment group decrealed significantly compared with that in modle group (P 0.05 ).There were no significant differences between Simvastation group and Stichopus group.Conclusion:Stichopus Variegatus Compound can effectively regulate lipids, especially significantly decreasing TC and LDL C concentration. Stichopus Variegatus Compound can relieve stenosis of blood vessel, and it can effectively inhibit hyperplasia of smooth muscle cell, which partly attributed to its function of inhibiting the synthesis and excretion of growth factors.