OBJECTIVE To investigate the effect of Xiangsha Liujunzi Decoction on lipid deposition in rats with spleen deficiency and hyperlipidemia and its molecular biological mechanism.
METHODS Thirty SD rats were randomly divided into 5 groups: blank control group, high-fat group, spleen-deficiency and high-fat group, high-dose Xiangsha Liujunzi Decoction group, and normal-dose Xiangsha Liujunzi Decoction group. A compound method of unregulated diet and swimming until exhaustion was used for 15 days to establish a model of spleen deficiency. After feeding the high-fat diet for 10 weeks, the blood lipid levels of rats were tested to confirm that the hyperlipidemia model was successfully replicated. Xiangsha Liujunzi Decoction high-dose group and normal-dose group were given Xiangsha Liujunzi Decoction of 11.34, 5.67 g·kg-1·d-1 intragastrically, the other 3 groups were given corresponding volume of normal saline intragastrically, and the samples were taken 4 weeks later. The blood lipid levels of the 5 groups of rats were detected. HE staining was used to observe the pathological changes of the liver. qPCR method was used to detect CircRNA-0067835 and miR-155 gene levels. The expression levels of PPARγ, LXR, ABCA1, ABCG1 mRNA and protein were detected by qPCR and Western blot.
RESULTS Compared with the blank control group, HE staining of high-fat group and spleen-deficiency and high-fat group showed obvious swollen liver cells and clear fatty vacuoles. The serum contents of TC, TG, LDL-C and the expression of miR-155 increased (P < 0.01), HDL-C level, the expression of CircRNA-0067835, the mRNA and protein expressions of PPARγ, LXR, ABCA1, ABCG1 all decreased (P < 0.05, P < 0.01). Compared with the spleen-deficiency and high-fat group, the TC, TG and LDL-C levels of Xiangsha Liujunzi Decoction high-dose group and normal-dose group significantly reduced (P < 0.01), and the HDL-C level significantly increased (P < 0.01), swollen liver cells were significantly improved, fatty vacuoles reduced, miR-155 expression decreased (P < 0.01), CircRNA-0067835 expression increased (P < 0.01), PPARγ, LXR, ABCA1, ABCG1 mRNA and protein expressions all increased (P < 0.05, P < 0.01). There was statistical significance between Xiangsha Liujunzi Decoction high-dose group and the normal-dose group (P < 0.05, P < 0.01).
CONCLUSION Xiangsha Liujunzi Decoction may improve cholesterol metabolism in hyperlipidemia rats by influencing CircRNA-0067835 to regulate the cholesterol efflux process mediated by PPARγ, thereby preventing and treating dyslipidemia.
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