Objective: To study the correlation between the effect of Zexietang on hyperlipidemic rats and the changes in intestinal microflora. Method: Totally 40 healthy male SD rats were randomly divided into normal control group (group C)

high fat diet group (group M)

high fat diet plus simvastatin pretreatment group (positive control group

group Y

2.1 mg·kg-1·d-1) and high fat diet plus Zexietang pretreatment group (group Z

2.2 g·kg-1·d-1)

with 10 in each group. After modeling for 4 weeks

both of group Y and group Z were given the corresponding drugs by gavage once a day. Group C and group M were given the same volume of normal saline. After administration for 4 weeks

the levels of serum total cholesterol(TC)

total triglyceride(TG)

low density lipoprotein cholesterol(LDL-C) and high density lipoprotein cholesterol(HDL-C) were detected. HE was performed to detect the histological changes of livers. Total DNA was extracted from the intestinal tract

and the changes of intestinal microflora were detected. Result: The levels of TC

TG

LDL-C in group M were higher than that of group C (P<0.05). After pretreatment with Zexietang for 4 weeks

the hyperlipidemic rats in group Z and group Y displayed reductions in levels of TC

TG and LDL-C compared with the model group (P<0.05). According to the histomorphological test

rats in the model group showed liver in light pink color

with tissue swelling

surface roughness and lower elasticity than the normal group; Compared with the model group

group Z and group Y showed significant improvement in liver color and elasticity. Furthermore

the intestinal bacterial 16S rDNA high-throughput sequencing analysis results showed that in the Zexietang pretreatment group

the structural diversity and richness of intestinal flora of the rats were obviously increased. Moreover

the number of normal intestinal flora was recovered to a certain extent

and the disorder of intestinal flora was alleviated. Conclusion: Zexietang can effectively regulate the disorder of lipid profiles metabolism in hyperlipidemic rats by regulating the target of intestinal flora

so as to play the role of anti-hyperlipidemia.