Abstract
Icariin is a flavonoid isolated from the traditional Chinese herbal medicine Epimedium brevicornum Maxim and has been reported to be effective for the treatment of a variety of cardiovascular diseases. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect and mechanism of icariin on atherosclerosis (AS) using a high-cholesterol diet (HCD)-induced rat model. Seventy male Wistar rats were divided into five groups: 20 in the control group, 20 in the AS group, 10 in the simvastatin group, 10 in the low-dose icariin group, and 10 in the high-dose icariin group. A HCD and vitamin D3 were administered to establish AS rat model. The five groups of rats received daily intragastric administration of normal saline, simvastatin, or icariin (30mg/kg/d, 60mg/kg/d) for 4weeks. The levels of blood lipids, superoxide dismutase (SOD), and malonaldehyde (MDA) were measured. The mRNA levels of interleukin (IL)-6 and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α were analyzed by real-time RT-PCR, and the serum levels of IL-6 and TNF-α were measured using ELISA kit. In addition, the expression of phosphorylated p38 (p-p38) MAPK was detected by Western blot analysis. The results indicated that AS rat models were successfully constructed. In the AS group, the levels of blood lipids including total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C), and MDA were significantly increased, while high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-C) and SOD were significantly decreased, compared with those in the control group. However, icariin succeeded in improving these biochemical parameters towards the normal values in the control group. In the simvastatin group and the icariin groups, the serum levels of IL-6 and TNF-α and the related tissue mRNA levels, as well as the expression of p-p38 MAPK, were markedly reduced compared with the AS group. In conclusion, the present study indicated that icariin inhibited the HCD-induced dyslipidemia in rats, the mechanisms may be associated with the anti-inflammation, anti-oxidative stress, and downregulation of p-p38 MAPK by icariin.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
