Abstract

The current study aimed to explore the effects of raloxifene on the aortic valve function of mice fed with high-sugar and high-fat diets. C57 mice were randomly divided into five groups, 10 mice per group, normal diet group or control group, high-sugar, high-fat group, raloxifene 4.5 mg/kg+high-sugar, high-fat group, raloxifene 9 mg/kg+high-sugar, high-fat group, and raloxifene 18 mg/kg+high-sugar, high-fat group. Raloxifene was intragastrically administered every day for a total of three months. Steatosis and calcification of aortic valve was detected through hematoxylin and eosin staining and alizarin red staining and relative expression levels of caspase-3 and caspase-8 using immunohistochemical staining and real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Compared with the high-sugar, high-fat group, both the hematoxylin and eosin staining and alizarin red staining showed that aortic valve steatosis and calcification in mice significantly improved after treatment with raloxifene, especially in the group administered with 18 mg/kg. In addition, quantitative immunohistochemical staining and real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction showed that raloxifene treatment sharply decreased mRNA expression levels of caspase-3 and caspase-8 compared to the high-sugar, high-fat group. Raloxifene at certain concentrations induced inhibitory effects on calcification and apoptosis in the aortic valves of mice after high-sugar, high-fat diet, thereby laying a foundation for therapeutic benefits raloxifene.