Lab Anim Res.  2012 Mar;28(1):39-46. 10.5625/lar.2012.28.1.39.

Anti-hypercholesterolemic and anti-atherosclerotic effects of polarized-light therapy in rabbits fed a high-cholesterol diet

• Park D
• Kyung J
• Kim D
• Hwang SY
• Choi EK
• Kim YB

• KMID: 2312091
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.5625/lar.2012.28.1.39

Abstract

The effects of polarized-light therapy (PLT) on high-cholesterol diet (HCD)-induced hypercholesterolemia and atherosclerosis were investigated in comparison with that of lovastatin in rabbits. Hypercholesterolemia was induced by feeding male New Zealand white rabbits with 1% cholesterol in diet for 2 weeks and maintained with 0.5% cholesterol for 6 weeks, followed by normal diet for 2 weeks for recovery. Lovastatin (0.002% in diet) or daily 5-min or 20-min PLT on the outside surface of ears was started 2 weeks after induction of hypercholesterolemia. Hypercholesterolemic rabbits exhibited great increases in serum cholesterol and low-density lipoproteins (LDL) levels, and finally severe atheromatous plaques formation covering 57.5% of the arterial walls. Lovastatin markedly reduced both the cholesterol and LDL, but the reducing effect (47.5%) on atheroma formation was relatively low. By comparison, 5-min PLT preferentially decreased LDL, rather than cholesterol, and thereby potentially reduced the atheroma area to 42.2%. Notably, 20-min PLT was superior to lovastatin in reducing both the cholesterol and LDL levels as well as the atheromatous plaque formation (26.4%). In contrast to the increases in blood alanine transaminase and aspartate transaminase following lovastatin treatment, PLT did not cause hepatotoxicity. In addition, PLT decreased platelets and hematocrit level. The results indicate that PLT attenuates atherosclerosis not only by lowering blood cholesterol and LDL levels, but also by improving blood flow without adverse effects. Therefore, it is suggested that PLT could be a safe alternative therapy for the improvement of hypercholesterolemia and atherosclerosis.

Keyword

Hypercholesterolemia; atherosclerosis; polarized-light therapy (PLT); lovastatin

MeSH Terms

Alanine Transaminase
Aspartate Aminotransferases
Atherosclerosis
Blood Platelets
Cholesterol
Diet
Ear
Hematocrit
Humans
Hypercholesterolemia
Lipoproteins, LDL
Lovastatin
Male
Plaque, Atherosclerotic
Rabbits
Alanine Transaminase
Aspartate Aminotransferases
Cholesterol
Lipoproteins, LDL
Lovastatin

Figure

• 

  Figure 1 Change in body weight of high-cholesterol diet (HCD)-fed rabbits (n=8) treated with lovastatin or polarized-light therapy (PLT). Treatments were started 2 weeks following induction of hyperchoesterolemia. ○, normal; •, HCD; ▾, HCD+0.002% lovastatin; ▪, HCD+5 min PLT; ♦, HCD+20 min PLT.

• 

  Figure 2 Time-course of blood cholesterol level in highcholesterol diet (HCD)-fed rabbits (n=8) treated with lovastatin or polarized-light therapy (PLT). Treatments were started 2 weeks following induction of hypercholesterolemia. ○, normal; •, HCD; ▾, HCD+0.002% lovastatin; ▪, HCD+5 min PLT; ♦, HCD+20 min PLT. *Significantly different from HCD alone, P<0.05.

• 

  Figure 3 Time-course of blood low-density lipoproteins (LDL) level of high-cholesterol diet (HCD)-fed rabbits (n=8) treated with lovastatin or polarized-light therapy (PLT). Treatments were started 2 weeks following induction of hypercholesterolemia. ○, normal; •, HCD; ▾, HCD+0.002% lovastatin; ▪, HCD+5 min PLT; ♦, HCD+20 min PLT. *Significantly different from HCD alone, P<0.05.

• 

  Figure 4 Representative findings of the aorta of high-cholesterol diet (HCD)-fed rabbits (n=8) treated with lovastatin (0.002%) or 5 min or 20 min polarized-light therapy (PLT). Note extensive atheromatous plaques induced by HCD and marked attenuation by 20 min PLT, in comparison with intact features in rabbits fed normal diet.

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