Effects of Taohong Siwu Decoction on Fas Mediated Apoptosis in Hyperhomocysteinemia Rats' Aortae

Objective:To test the therapeutic effect of Taohong Siwu(THSW)decoction,a compound traditional Chinese herbal medicine:on Fas mRNA expression of hyperhomocysteinemia rats' aortae.Methods:Forty male SD rats were randomly divided into 4 groups with 10 in each group:untreated group,model group,THSW group and Folic Acid group.Thirty male SD rats received a high methionine diet to induce hyperhomocysteine and endothelial dysfunction.Rats in THSW group and Folic acid group were fed with THSW 4.59 g/(kg.d),Folic Acid 1.35 mg/(kg.d) respectively.Rats in untreated group and model group were fed with distilled water 2 mL/d intragastrically.At the end of 12 weeks,serum homocysteine levels were test by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA),plasma TNF-α and MCP-1 levels were tested with commercial kits.Fas,TNF-αmRNA were determined by RT-PCR.The expressions of cleaved Caspase3 was assayed by Immunohistochemistry.The expression of TNF-αof aortae were determined by western blot.Results:Compared with untreated group,Homocysteine in model group was obviously higher.The homocysteine levels in Folic Acid group were decreased obviously.Compared with untreated group,the levels of TNF-αand MCP-1 in model group in serum were higher.The TNF-αlevel in serum was lower than that in THSW group significantly.In aorta,the mRNA levels of TNF-αand Fas in model group were significantly heightened,THSW decoction can down-regulate the levels of aortic TNF-α mRNA significantly.The expression of cleaved Caspase 3 and TNF-αin model group were increased significantly compared with those in untreated group.However,the expression of cleaved Caspase 3 was downregulated in the THSW group.Conclusions:A high methionine diet can not only heighten serum homocysteinemia significantly but also induce the Fas mediated apoptosis.THSW decoction can down-regulate the expression of TNF-αmRNA in serum and reduce the aortic level of TNF-αat protein and gene level.