Regulatory effect of herbal cake-partitioned moxibustion on cholesterol reverse transport nuclear receptor LXRα in rabbits with atherosclerosis

Abstract

To observe the effect of herbal cake-partitioned moxibustion on liver X receptor alpha (LXRα) in rabbits with atherosclerosis. Thirty-six male New Zealand rabbits were randomly divided into a normal group, a model group, a herbal cake-partitioned moxibustion group and a simvastatin group according to the random number table method, with 9 rabbits in each group. Rabbits in the model group, the herbal cake-partitioned moxibustion group and the simvastatin group were modeled by high fat feeding method which took 12 weeks. After verification of the successful model, rabbits in the normal group were not treated, in the model group were bundled, in the herbal cake-partitioned moxibustion group were treated with herbal cake-partitioned moxibustion, and those in the simvastatin group were treated with simvastatin, all for a total of 4 weeks. At the end of the experiment, the aorta and liver were observed for pathological changes; serum and liver were used to detect lipid levels; Western blot (WB) and real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) were used to detect LXRα protein and mRNA expression levels, respectively. Compared with the normal group, the structure of aorta was disordered, the wall was rough and thick, the intima was unsmooth, and the vascular smooth muscle cells were arranged closely and disorderly in the model group, which was consistent with the characteristics of the rabbit model of aortic atherosclerosis. Compared with the model group, the aortic structure was clear, the degree of hepatocyte degeneration was reduced, the serum total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein levels were significantly decreased (all P<0.01), the high-density lipoprotein level was elevated (P<0.01), and the total liver cholesterol was decreased significantly (P<0.01) in the rabbits of the herbal cake-partitioned moxibustion group and the simvastatin group; compared with the model group, the protein (P<0.01 or P<0.05) and mRNA (P<0.01) expressions of rabbit LXRα in the herbal cake-partitioned moxibustion group and the simvastatin group were increased. Herbal cake-partitioned moxibustion can improve the aortic and hepatic lesions, regulate blood lipid and liver lipid levels, increase the expression of liver cholesterol reverse transport nuclear receptor LXRα, promote reverse cholesterol transport in the rabbits with aortic atherosclerosis, therefore produces an antiatherogenic effect.