Objective: To study the effects of Huayu Qutan recipe on liver mitochondrial respiratory chain enzyme complexes in atherosclerosis (AS) rabbits. Method: Totally 90 healthy male SPF New Zealand white rabbits were randomly divided into the normal group

the model group

high

middle and low dose Huayu Qutan recipe groups (4

8

16 g · kg-1)

simvastatin group (1.4 mg · kg-1)

15 rats in each group. The normal group was fed with basic feeding

and other groups were fed with high-fat diet to establish the atherosclerosis model. After 8 weeks

high

middle and low dose Huayu Qutan recipe groups and simvastatin group were given with corresponding drug solution

while the normal group and model group were given with the same amount of saline. After 4 weeks

the levels of triglyceride (TG)

cholesterol (TC)

low-density lipoprotein cholesterolc (LDL-C) and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) in serum were tested by the automatic biochemistry analyzer. Hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining and oil red O staining were used to observe the changes of liver tissue morphology. The activity of liver mitochondrial respiratory chain enzyme complexes was tested by the spectrophotometry. The content of mitochondrial respiratory chain enzyme complexes was tested by Blue-Native-Page. Result: As compared with the normal group

TC

TG

LDL-C levels in serum were increased significantly

and HDL-C level was decreased significantly in model group. As compared with the model group

TC

TG

LDL-C levels were decreased significantly

and HDL-C was increased significantly in high

middle and low dose Huayu Qutan recipe groups and simvastatin group (P<0.01). The effect of high dose Huayu Qutan recipe was most obvious. HE and oil red O staining results showed that as compared with the normal group

the swelling of rabbit liver tissues was obvious and fat vacuoles were clearly visible

with significantly accumulated lipid droplets in the cytoplasm in model group. As compared with the model group

fatty vacuoles in high

middle and low dose Huayu Qutan recipe groups and simvastatin group were decreased significantly or disappeared

and liver tissue morphology was all or partly recovered. The effect of high dose Huayu Qutan recipe was most obvious. As compared with the normal group

the activity and contents of hepatic mitochondrial respiratory chain enzyme complexes I

Ⅱ

Ⅲ

Ⅳ

V were decreased in model group (P<0.01). As compared with the model group

the activity and contents of liver mitochondrial respiration chain enzyme complexes I

Ⅱ

Ⅲ

Ⅳ

V were increased (P<0.05). Conclusion: Huayu Qutan recipe may reduce lipidosis to prevent and treat atherosclerosis by affecting contents and activity of mitochondrial respiratory chain enzyme complexes.