Abstract:

Objective To investigate the impact of Aloe emodin on intimal hyperplasia after iliac arteries injury of rabbits and the preventive effect of this agent on restenosis in animal model.Methods Fourteen Japanese white rabbits(weights 1.5 kg) received emodin (40 mg/(kg·d) im) or 0.9% NaCI 0.5 hours before and 7 d after balloon injury of the right iliac artery. Two weeks later, the rabbits were killed and both the injured right and the uninjured control left iliac arteries were isolated and fixed and embedded in paraffin and serially sectioned (10 μm) and stained with Weigert's elastic lamina. The cross-sectional surface areas of the vessels within the external elastic lamina (the total area), within the lumen (the lumen area), and within the intimal elastic lamina (the intimal area) were measured. The maximal intimal thickness was also measured with a LeiCA Qwin Image Processing and Analysis System.Results Compared with control, in Aloe-emodin treated groups the maximal intimal thickness were a little smaller ((0.048±0.015)mm, (0.043±0.013)mm, respectively) and the vascular areas were slightly greater (( 0.160± 0.010)mm², (0.152±0.01)mm², respectively), but there were no significant differences. The lumen size was significantly greater in Aloe emodin-treated ((0.098±0.011)mm²) than in control rabbits ((0.08±0.013)mm², P < 0.05 ), the areas of neointimal and the ratios of neointimal to intimal and vascular areas were significantly less in Aloe emodin-treated (( 0.025± 0.005)mm², 0.793±0.036, 0.617±0.054) than in control rabbits (( 0.035± 0.008)mm², 0.699±0.063, 0.538± 0.057, P < 0.05 ).Conclusion The hypothesis has been proved correct that systemic administration of Aloe emodin immediately before (0.5 h) and after intervention effectively inhibits myointimal proliferation after balloon injury of the rabbit iliac artery in vivo and may be useful in the vascular remodeling. It seems that this agent may be useful in the prevention of coronary restenosis.

Key words: Aloe emodin, intimal hyperplasia, vascular remodeling, artery