Effects of gamichunggantang on hyperlipidemia.

AIM: To evaluate the therapeutic effects of gamichunggantang (GCT) on hyperlipidemia through high cholesterol diet model. GCT is an Oriental herbal medication, which has been used for the treatment of fatty liver, hyperlipidemia or alcoholic liver disease in Daejeon University Oriental Hospital, Korea since 1999. METHODS: Rats were fed with high cholesterol diet for 4 weeks and GCT was administrated for 2 weeks from 2 weeks later in experimental days. The levels of serum total cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol, and triglyceride were analyzed every week. Absolute and relative liver weight to body, and histopathological changes were determined at last day. And, lipid metabolism-related gene expressions (ACAT and DGAT) in liver tissue were analyzed by using RT-PCR. ESULTS: In GCT group, TG levels were reduced at 3 and 4 weeks after GCT administration (39.4 %, P < 0.05 and 36.3 %, P < 0.01 respectively). Total cholesterol levels also were reduced at 3 weeks (20.5 %, P < 0.05) and 4 weeks (35.86 %, P < 0.01) after GCT administration, but HDL-cholesterol levels were increased significantly (P < 0.05) at 3 weeks (14.7 %) and 4 weeks (25.5 %) compared with hyperlipidemia-induced group without GCT. In the GCT treated group, liver weight was lower and lipid accumulation was decreased in histological finding. ACAT gene expression was suppressed compared with hyperlipidemia-induced group but not DGAT. CONCLUSION: GCT possesses preventive or therapeutic effects on diet-induced hyperlipidemia by inhibiting the intestinal absorption and storage of exogenous and endogenous cholesterol.