Abstract

To investigate the protective effects of rosiglitazone on the endothelial cells in a rabbit iliac artery balloon injury, thirty male New Zealand white rabbits were randomly divided into control group (hypercholesterol diet), balloon injury group (hypercholesterol diet plus balloon endothelial denudation) and rosiglitazone group (balloon endothelial denudation plus hypercholesterol diet and rosiglitazone). Rabbits were fed for eight weeks, and balloon endothelial denudation was performed. Rosiglitazone was administrated at a dose of 0.5 mg·kg^-1·d^-1 from three days before surgery, and lasted for 4 weeks. Four weeks later, blood was collected and serum lipids, glucose, hs-CRP, NO, NOS and ET-1 levels were measured. Then, local iliac arteries were obtained for morphological examination and immunohistochemistry for PCNA and apoptosis. When compared with balloon injury group, the levels of serum TC, TG, LDL-C, ET-1 were significantly decreased in the rosiglitazone group. Morphological examination showed the intimal area (IA), medial area (MA) and intimal proliferation index in rosiglitazone group were significantly lower than those in the balloon injury group. The PCNA expression was markedly decreased and the apoptosis rate significantly increased in rosiglitazone group when compared with the balloon injury group. Rosiglitazone could exert protective effects on the endothelial cells after balloon injury in which the lipid-lowering, inhibited proliferation and increased apoptosis of endothelial cells, and compromised NOS activity and secretion of NO and ET-1 played important roles.

Key words: Rosiglitazone, apoptosis, nitric oxide synthase, endothelin, rabbit.