Abstract: Objective To research the effect of metallothionein(MT) and rosuvastatin on atherosclerosis and smooth muscle 22 alpha (SM22α) expression in ApoE-deficient mice. Methods Thirty 6-week-old ApoE- deficient male mice were divided into hyperlipidemia model group, rosuvastatin group, and MT group randomly, fed with fatty diet for 13 weeks. Ten background strain C57BL/6J (wild type) male mice were selected as normal control group,and fed with normal diet for 13 weeks. After 13 weeks, eyeballs were extracted and blood was taken from ApoE-deficient mice for detecting lipid profile, then the mice were executed and the aortas were dissociated, 5 mm vessel in aorta arch were taken and fixed in 10% formalin, then treated with paraffin imbedding, slicing, HE staining and SM22α immunohistochemistry staining; some specimen was preserved in -80 ℃ refrigerator, total protein and RNA were extracted, West Blot and RT-PCR were taken.To observe morphology changes of aortic wall, to analyse SM22α expression intensity of aorta tissue qualitatively and quantitively. Results The blood lipid level in rosuvastation group was lower than that in hyperlipidemia model group (P<0.05). There is no difference in the blood lipid level between MT group and hyperlipidemia model group (P>0.05). Compared with normal control group, intimal thickness, plaque volume increased and SM22α protein and mRNA expression decreased in hyperlipidemia model group. Compared with hyperlipidemia model group, intimal thickness, plaque volume decreased and SM22α protein and mRNA expression increased in MT and rovustatin group. Conclusion The MT has no effect on lipid profile, rovustatin can lower blood lipid obviously. MT and rovustatin can alleviate atherosclerosis lesions and increase SM22α protein and mRNA expression in aorta of ApoE-deficient mice. Their anti-athrosclerosis effect is related to up regulating SM22α expression.

Key words: Metallothionein, Rosavastation, ApoE-deficient mice, Atherosclerosis, SM22α