Abstract
The effect of rosuvastatin on the expression of candidate gene polypeptide N-acetylgalactosaminyltrans ferase 3 (GALNT3) in atherosclerosis was studied. Sixty Wistar rats were randomly divided into the control (n=20), model (atherosclerosis group, n=20) and administration (rosuvastatin group, n=20) groups. The atherosclerosis model was established via injecting D3.6 million units of vitamin per kilogram of body weight and then the rats were fed with high-fat diet for 6 weeks. The total cholesterol, serum triglyceride and nitric oxide contents were detected using the kits, the morphological changes in thoracic aorta were observed via hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining, the mRNA expression of candidate gene GALNT3 was detected via reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), and the protein expression of candidate gene GALNT3 was detected via western blot analysis. Compared with those in the control group, the contents of serum triglyceride and total cholesterol in the model group were significantly increased, and then significantly decreased after drug administration. Morphological observation showed that the surface of thoracic aorta was not smooth with endothelial shedding, and the smooth muscle cells were arranged irregularly and their number was obviously increased. Moreover, RT-PCR and western blot analysis revealed that the mRNA and protein expressions of GALNT3 were significantly increased in the administration group. Rosuvastatin can therefore significantly upregulate the expression of candidate gene GALNT3 in atherosclerosis, thereby reducing the incidence of atherosclerosis.