[Lipid peroxide, membrane fluidity of smooth muscle cells and atherosclerosis].

Coincidently with the increase of lipid concentration in the culture medium, there was increase of lipid peroxide (LPO) and decrease of membrane fluidity (MF) in the smooth muscle cell (SMC). Animal experiment also showed that hyperlipidemia might damage SMC of the arterial wall and produce a similar result as described. Actually, there was a significant negative correlation between high LPO content and low MF. EM examination of SMC revealed a defeatured surface with many micropinocytic vesicles and fat droplets in the cytoplasm, and additionally atherosclerosis (AS) of various degree was observed at the aortic intima. The results indicated that LPO damage plays an important role in the atherogenesis process which is considered probably through the lowering down of MF of the SMC. Chinese herb drug Rhaponticum uniflorum exhibited an anti-oxidation effect, which inhibits LPO production and improves MF of the cells, so that it makes the AS lesions less severe. It suggests that in addition to reducing serum lipid level, drugs with anti-oxidation action will be beneficial to AS.