OBJECTIVETo investigate the effect of Qindan Capsule (QDC) on gene and protein expression of vascular adventitial collagen I and III (VAC1 and VAC3) in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR), for further research the possible mechanism of vascular adventitial fibroblasts remodeling.

METHODSThirty-two SHR, 40 weeks old, were equally randomized into the model group and the three treated groups treated respectively with high (750 mg/Kg x d) and low dosage QDC (150 mg/Kg x d), and losartan (30 mg/Kg x d), once a day for 12 weeks. Besides, a normal blank control group and a normal QDC (750 mg/Kg x d) medicated group were set up with same aged Wistar-Kyoto rats. Systolic blood pressures of rats were monitored, gene and protein expressions of VAC1 and VAC3 in rats' thoracic aortic adventitia were detected at the end of experiment using immune-histochemical staining and real-time quantitative fluorescent PCR respectively.

RESULTSCompared with the model group, blood pressure as well as the gene and protein expressions of VAC1 and VAC3 were all lower in the two QDC (high and low dosage) treated groups (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONQDC could not only effectively reduce the blood pressure in SHR, but also suppress and even reverse their thoracic aorta adventitial vascular remodeling, which is displayed by the obvious lowering of VAC1 and VAC2 expression levels.