There is evidence that
hyperlipidemia can induce hemorheological and microcirculatory disturbances.
Myakuryu, a
Chinese traditional medicine is efficacious in promoting lipid metabolism and protecting oxidative stress, but whether this
drug can ameliorate rheologic disturbances caused by
hyperlipidemia is still unknown. The present study was conducted to investigate the effects of
myakuryu on hemorheological and microcirculatory disturbances induced by
hyperlipidemia. Wistar rats were divided into a group on control diet (n=8) and a group on high-fat diet (HFD, n=44). Eight weeks later, plasma
triglyceride (TG) and total
cholesterol (TC) were determined. Sixteen animals with the highest levels of
hyperlipidemia from the HFD group were randomly divided into two sub-groups: the untreated
hyperlipidemia group (n=8) and the group treated with
myakuryu (n=8). At the end of the sixteenth week, rheological and microcirculatory parameters were measured. Chemical analysis showed that
myakuryu treatment caused significant reductions of plasma TG and TC levels (P<0.01), and the
cholesterol/
phospholipid ratio in the erythrocyte membrane (P<0.05). Rheological and microcirculatory measurements showed that
myakuryu treatment led to a significant decrease in the erythrocyte aggregation index, plasma viscosity and blood viscosity at shear rates of 50, 100 and 150 s(-1) and in adherent leukocytes in mesenteric venules. There was a significant increase in erythrocyte deformation, electrophoretic mobility, membrane fluidity and
F-actin content in the erythrocyte membrane as well as in red cell velocity in mesenteric venules. Our findings suggest that
myakuryu treatment can improve blood flow and reduce adherent leukocytes in the venules of rats fed with HFD by ameliorating blood viscosity, erythrocyte deformability and aggregation, and other hemorheological characteristics.