Inflammation plays an essential role in the pathophysiology of atherosclerosis. Our study was aimed to investigate whether salvianolate, a novel water-soluble phenolic compound of Danshen, alleviates atherosclerosis via regulating the inflammation in rats. High fat diet feeding plus vitamin D3 injection was used to induce atherosclerosis in rats. Salvianolate (60, 120 or 240 mg/kg) or placebo was given to atherosclerotic rats. The plasma lipids, interleukin 6 (IL-6) and C reactive protein (CRP) were measured by ELISA. CD4+CD25+Foxp3+ cells were determined by flow cytometry. Histological changes were examined by hematoxylin and eosin staining. The results showed that the levels of plasma IL-6 and CRP were elevated in the rats fed on high fat diet, and the histological analysis demonstrated the successful establishment of atherosclerosis models. Treatment with salvianolate alleviated the atherosclerotic process and decreased the levels of plasma IL-6 and CRP. Also the number of CD4+CD25+Foxp3+ cells was increased in salvianolate-treated rats. It was concluded that salvianolate could treat atherosclerosis via modulating the inflammation at cytokine and cell levels.
The sex of a patient can affect the outcomes of several cardiovascular diseases, and men generally tend to experience earlier episodes of cardiovascular diseases compared with women. The progression of atherosclerosis during hyperlipidemia can be induced by reactive oxygen species (ROS) and oxidized-low-density lipoprotein (ox-LDL). By contrast, bone marrow (BM)-derived endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) have been reported to serve a protective role against atherosclerosis. The aim of the present was to compare the effects of sex under conditions of hyperlipidemia on different populations of EPCs, and to identify the potential underlying mechanisms.
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