The Rationality of the Hypolipidemic Effect of Alismatis Rhizoma Decoction, a Classical Chinese Medicine Formula in High-Fat Diet-Induced Hyperlipidemic Mice

Alismatis Rhizoma Decoction (ARD) is a classical Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) formula for treatment of vertigo with its long history of successful clinical effect. Since vertigo is a symptom of hyperlipidemia, this study aimed at evaluating the hypolipidemic effect of ARD in hyperlipidemic mice induced by high fat diet (HFD) and investigated the rationality of formula combination of Alismatis Rhizoma (AR) and Atractylodis Macrocephalae Rhizoma (AMR). Compared with control group, hyperlipidemic mice in AR and ARD groups displayed a reduction of the following parameters: body weight, liver and serum total cholesterol, triglyceride concentration, liver and spleen coefficients, activities of serum aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT); whereas the serum HDL-cholesterol levels were significantly elevated in both AR and ARD groups. AR and ARD treatments significantly down regulated the expressions of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutharyl-coenzyme A reductase (HMG-CoA reductase) and sterol regulatory element binding factor-2 (SREBF-2). These findings clearly provided evidences that the suppression on biosynthesis of cholesterol in liver may in part contribute to the hypolipidemic effects of ARD and AR. Since no significantly hypolipidemic effect of AMR was observed, the more prominent effect of ARD than that of AR indicated synergistic effects of AR and AMR, and confirmed the rationality of ARD formula.