Influence of garlic on atherogenesis in rats

Abstract

The potential antiatherosclerotic effect of garlic was tested in rats in which atherosclerosis was induced in the carotid artery by endothelial denudation using a balloon catheter. Garlic was administered to the chow (5%) containing additionally cholesterol (2%). Similarly treated controls received the cholesterol enriched chow. Four weeks after injury, the animals were sacrificed and the following determinations were performed: plasma cholesterol level, DNA content of excised samples of the carotid arteries, thickness of the neointima formed in the denuded areas, enzyme activities of glutathione peroxidase and reductase in homogenates of liver, heart, and aorta.

The results show that the rise in plasma cholesterol in the garlic group was significantly lower than in the control group. The formation of the neointima was found to be slightly decreased. However, due to large interindividual variations, no significance was found. The determinations of the enzyme activities showed that the capacity mainly of the rate limiting enzyme glutathione reductase is increased under garlic.

Although the antiproliferative effect of garlic could not be established in this model, the lipid lowering effect as well as the effect on the peroxidation protecting enzymes might be beneficial in other models of atherosclerosis in which LDL oxidation is of greater importance.

Zusammenfassung

Die vorliegende Studie wurde durchgeführt, um die antiatherosklerotische Wirkung von Knoblauch, die häufig aufgrund seiner cholesterinsenkenden Wirkung postuliert wird [5], an einem experimentellen Modell zu überprüfen.