Abstract: AIM:To explore the effects of sesamin on blood glucose, blood lipids and vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1) protein expression of aorta in rats withmetabolic syndrome.METHODS:A highfat, refined-carbohydrate diet was given to rats to induce metabolic syndrome for 24 weeks.Sesamin (120, 60, 30 mg^。kg ^{-1 。}d ^-1 ) were given to the metabolic syndrome rats at the ninth week by intragastric administration, which were lasted for 16 weeks.Then, the body weight and abdominal fat of all rats were weighed and the levels of blood lipid, blood glucose, the total anti-oxidation capacity (T-AOC) and the hydrogen peroxide concentration in the serum were determined.In addition, the pathological change and the VCAM-1 protein expression of aorta were observed by H-E staining and immunohistochemical method respectively. RESULTS:Compared with those in model group, the body weight and abdominal fat of sesamin (120, 60 mg^。kg ^{-1 。}d ^-1 ) groups were obviously decreased, the levels of serum TG, TC, LDL-C and blood glucose were markedly decreased and the level of HDL-C was increased.The VCAM-1 protein expression of aorta was depressed.The pathological change was improved ;The T-AOC and hydrogen peroxide concentrations of serum and aorta were decreased.CONCLUSION:Sesamin can obviously descrease the levels of blood lipid, blood glucose and depress the VCAM-1 protein expression of aorta, improve the pathological change of aorta and protect against the progression of atherosclerosis.

Key words: sesamin, rat, metabolic syndrome, aorta, vascular cell adhesion molecule-1