Dangguijagyagsan (DJS), a traditional herbal prescription, has long been used to treat menopause-related symptoms. We identified the cardioprotective effects of an aqueous extract of DJS using an ovariectomized (OVX) and
ferric chloride- (FeCl-) induced
carotid thrombosis rat model. Female Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were ovariectomized or
Sham-operated (
Sham-control). The ovariectomized rats were divided into three groups: OVX with saline (OVX-control),
aspirin 30 mg/kg/day (OVX-ASA), and DJS 100 mg/kg/day (OVX-DJS). The treatments were administered for 5 weeks. Then, blood samples were collected to analyze the serum
lipid levels and platelet aggregation. The topical application of 40% FeCl3 induced intravascular
thrombosis, which was used to test thrombotic occlusion and for histological examination.
Body weight and the levels of total
cholesterol (TC),
triglyceride (TG), and
LDL-cholesterol (
LDL-C) increased in the OVX rats. These effects were reduced by ASA and DJS treatment. In addition, ASA and DJS treatment significantly inhibited platelet aggregation. These treatments also increased time to occlusion and decreased both
thrombus size and the presence of
collagen fibers in surrounding vessel walls compared with the
Sham-control and OVX-control groups. These results suggest that DJS has beneficial effects in terms of preventing
cardiovascular disease in menopausal woman because it can reduce the serum
lipid levels and improve blood flow by inhibiting platelet aggregation and
thrombus formation.