Abstract: AIM: To investigate the preventive effect of tetrahydroxystilbene-glucoside (TSG) on experimental atherosclerosis rats. METHODS: Sixty one male rats were randomly divided into six groups. normal control; model control ;TSG low dose (30 mg∙kg^-1∙d^-1) ;TSG middle dose (60 g∙kg^-1∙d^-1 ) ;TSG high dose (120mg∙kg^-1∙d^-1) ;simvastatin(2 mg∙kg^-1∙d^-1). The AS model of rats was made by feeding high grease food and injecting VitD3. All the rats were fed for 12 weeks, blood samples were drawn from carotid artery of rats, the levels of TC, TG, HDL-C, LDL-C , CRP, IL-6 and TNF-αin serum were measured with biochemical method. After blood samples were collected , the aorta samples were separated from the bodies, then they were placed 4 % paraformaldehydea and were through Sudan Ⅳ and HE staining. STATA7. 0 software was used to evaluate the differences between groups. RESULTS: Data of the study demonstrated that the levels of TC 、TG 、LDL-C 、TNF-α、IL-6 and CRP were decreased remarkably, the level of HDL-C was increased by TSG 60, 120 mg∙kg^-1∙d^-1group in the high cholesterol-fed rats,which showed a dose-dependent effect. The result of SudanⅣ and HE staining suggested that the lipid deposits in aortic endothelium in TSG group were less than those in model group. CONCLUSION: TSG has preventive effect on the experimental atherosclerosis among the high cholesterol-fed rats. The anti-atherogenic effect of TSG seems to be closely related to regulating plasma lipid profile, and inhibiting inflammation.

Key words: tetrahydroxystilbene-glucoside, atherosclerosis, lipid level, IL-6, TNF-α, C reactive pvotein