The effects of Danggui-Buxue-Tang on blood lipid and expression of genes related to foam cell formation in the early stage of atherosclerosis in diabetic GK rats.

Danggui-Buxue-Tang (DBT) is a famous traditional Chinese formula. We determined the effects of DBT on blood lipid and expression of genes related to foam cell formation in the early stage of atherosclerosis in diabetic GK rats. DBT (3 or 6g/kg/day for 4 weeks) was orally administrated to the diabetic atherosclerosis rats, which were induced by nitric oxide inhibition (l-NAME in drinking water, 1mg/ml) plus high-fat diet. The total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), and the mRNAs expression of monocyte chemoattractant protein (MCP)-1, intercellular adhesion molecule (ICAM)-1 and CD36 mRNA in aorta were determined. The results demonstrated that DBT could regulate blood lipid, inhibit the genes expression of MCP-1, ICAM-1 and CD36 in aorta.