Abstract: AIM: To investigate the effects of rosiglitazone and atorvastatin alone or combination on aortic atherosclerotic area and TNF-αsynthesis in hypercholesterolemic rabbits. METHODS: Thirty male New Zealand rabbits were randomly divided into normal diet group (n =6) and high-cholesterol diet group (1 % cholesterol diet, n =24).After 8 weeks, hypercholesterolemic rabbits were randomly fed with starch (starch group, n =6), atorvastatin (atorvastatin group, 5 mg·kg ^-1 ·d ^-1, n =6) or rosiglitazone (rosiglitazone group, 3 mg·kg ^-1·d ^-1, n =6), rosiglitazone plus atorvastatin [combination group, atorvastatin (5 mg·kg ^-1 ·d ^-1), rosiglitazone (3 mg·kg ^-1 ·d ^-1), n = 6].Four weeks later, all rabbits were killed, and monocytes were isolated from peripheral blood monocytes of these rabbits, then were cultured for 24 hours. TNF-αantigens in plasm and monocytes were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. RESULTS: Compared with normal diet group, levels of TNF-αwere increased in plasma and monocytes of high-cholesterol diet groups.Compared with starch group, the area of atherosclerotic lesions and the levels of TNF-αin plasma and monocytes of hypercholesterolemic rabbits were decreased in rosiglitazone, atorvastatin, or rosiglitazone plus atorvastain groups, furthermore, which had a more significant reduction in rosiglitazone plus atorvastain group (P<0.01).There was a positive correlation between the area of atherosclerotic lesions and the levels of TNF-αin plasm and monocytes (P<0.01). CONCLUSION: Atorvastatin combined with rosiglitazone assuage atherosclerosis through suppressing TNF-α secretion in peripheral blood monocytes.Synergistic administration of rosiglitazone and atorvastatin exerts a better anti-atheromatous effect.

Key words: rosiglitazone, atorvastatin, atherosclerosis, tumour necrosis factor-alpha