Abstract

To explore the effect of Panax notoginseng saponins on atherosclerosis with type 2 diabetes mellitus in Goto-Kakizaki rats by nuclear factor-kappa B signaling pathway. Goto-Kakizaki rats fed with high fat diet and injected with N-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester for 8 w, were randomized into model group and Panax notoginseng saponins group (400 mg/kg/d). Another Goto-Kakizaki rats and Wistar rats were selected as Goto-Kakizaki group and control group which fed with normal diet and injected with saline. Serum lipid and inflammatory factors were measured. There were no statistical differences of lipid profiles between model group and Panax notoginseng saponins group (p>0.05). In Panax notoginseng saponins group, serum tumor necrosis factor-alpha, interleukin-6, intercellular adhesion molecule-1, vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 and monocyte chemotactic protein-1 were significantly decreased (p<0.01), messenger RNA expression and protein levels of interleukin-6, tumor necrosis factor-alpha, intercellular adhesion molecule-1, vascular cell adhesion molecule-1, monocyte chemotactic protein-1 and nuclear factor-kappa B in the Panax notoginseng saponins group were significantly lower, compared with those in model group (p<0.05, p<0.01). Some inflammatory factors in model group were higher than those in Goto-Kakizaki group which were higher than those in control group. The inflammatory reaction with nuclear factorkappa B signaling pathway as core, occurs throughout type 2 diabetes mellitus and its atherogenesis and Panax notoginseng saponins improves nuclear factor-kappa B signaling pathway, decreasing its related inflammatory factors to achieve an improvement in the diabetic atherosclerotic process.