Tanshinone IIA Combined With Rutin and Squalene Improves Hyperlipidemia to Alleviate Atherosclerosis in New Zealand Rabbits Through Upregulation of the SREBP2/LDLR Pathway

This study investigated the effects of tanshinone IIA combined with rutin and squalene (RTS) on atherosclerosis (AS) associated with hyperlipidemia and the underlying mechanisms. Female New Zealand rabbits were subjected to a hyperlipidemia and AS model. Treatment with RTS for 4 weeks reduced the weight, and some serum lipid levels include serum TC, serum TG, serum LDL-C. RTS also improved lesions of the liver and aorta. In vitro analyses showed that RTS significantly activated LDLR-mediated hepatic lipid endocytosis, but blocking LDLR activation with si-SREBP2 attenuated the therapeutic effect, which demonstrated that RTS can activate the SREBP2/LDLR pathway mediating liver clearance of blood lipids. This study highlights the therapeutic potential of RTS in hyperlipidemia and AS. As a convenient form of a combination drug, RTS has shown considerable potential in the improvement of hyperlipidemia combined with AS.