Effects of Xuezhikang (Red Yeast Rice) on Blood lipids, Hemorheology and the Expression of P65 and Tissue Factor in Atherosclerotic Rats

Objective: To observe the effects of Xuezhikang (red yeast rice) on blood lipids, blood rheology, and expression of P65 and tissue factor, and to explore the anti-atherosclerosis effect and related mechanisms of Xuezhikang (red yeast rice). Methods: 32 Wistar rats were randomly divided into normal control group, Xuezhikang treatment group, lovastatin treatment group and atherosclerosis model group (8 in each group). blood lipids, blood rheology, malondialdehyde (MDA), total antioxidant capacity (t-AOc), and expression of aortic tissue factor (tF) and P65 were measured in each group. results: (1) Both Xuezhikang and lovastatin could reduce blood lipid levels, but there was no significant difference between the two groups; (2) Both Xuezhikang and lovastatin can improve the hemorheology of atherosclerotic rats, but the difference between the two groups is not signifcant; (3) Compared with lovastatin, Xuezhikang inhibited the expression of TF and P65 in aorta of rats with atherosclerosis; (4) Compared with lovastatin, the Xuezhikang group had lower MDA levels and higher T-AOC. Conclusion: Xuezhikang can improve blood lipid levels and hemorheology in rats with atherosclerosis. Compared with lovastatin, Xuezhikang has stronger effects on inhibiting oxidative stress and down-regulating the expression of tissue factor and P65.