Effects of combination of Puerariae Lobatae Radix and Salviae Miltiorrhizae Radix et Rhizoma on lipid metabolism in atherosclerotic quails

In present study, cholesterol/high fat diet-induced atherosclerotic quails were used to evaluate the effects of combination of Puerariae Lobatae Radix and Salviae Miltiorrhizae Radix et Rhizoma (1: 1, abbreviated as PRSM) on lipid metabolism, liver index, apolipoprotein levels. The results obtained from this study indicated that oral administration of ethyl acetate extract of PRSM at doses of 7.5, 5.0, 2.5 g x kg(-1) as well as aqueous extract of PRSM at dose of 7.5 g x kg(-1) could reduce the serum cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) and very low density lipoprotein cholesterol (VLDL-C) levels as well as the weight of liver and liver index, and increase the serum level of high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C). Furthermore, reduced levels of apolipoprotein B (ApoB) and elevated levels of apolipoprotein A1 (ApoA1) were observed in ethyl acetate extract and aqueous extract of PRSM treated atherosclerotic quails. All results demonstrate that PRSM possess a regulatory role on lipid metabolism disorders in atherosclerotic quails, which may be the pharmacological basis of PRSM for preventing the development of atherosclerosis.