The Possible Protective Effects of Inegy versus Cinnamon Oil on the Aorta of Albino Rats with Experimentally Induced Hyperlipidemia

Background: hypercholesterolemia is a predominant risk factor for atherosclerosis. The clinical complications of atherosclerosis could be suppressed when plasma lipids are lowered by hypocholesterolemic agents. The aim of this research is to assess the possible protective effect of the drug Inegy versus cinnamon oil on the histological structure of the abdominal aorta of rats with experimentally induced hyperlipidemia. Materials & Methods: the animals were divided into 2 groups (control and experimental group). Group I (control group) was divided into: subgroup I a; received standard diet only, subgroup Ib received Inegy 10 mg/kg body weight / day orally and subgroup Ic received cinnamon oil orally. Group II (The experimental group) was divided into: subgroup II, which received a high fat high cholesterol (HFHC) diet, subgroup II b received simultaneously both HFHC diet and Inegy and subgroup II c which received simultaneously both HFHC diet and cinnamon oil. After 3 months blood samples were collected from all rats for cholesterol and triglyceride estimation and fresh specimens were taken from the abdominal aorta of each rat and processed for; light microscopic, immunohistochemical and morphometric studies. Results: Significant increase of serum cholesterol and triglyceride levels in hyperlipidemic rats (subgroup II a) was detected. Moreover, evident structural changes in the form of endothelial irregularity, focal loss and shedding of large areas of denuded endothelium were illustrated. It was associated with adhesion of mononuclear leukocytes and increased foam macrophages. Examination of histological sections of the abdominal aorta of (subgroups II b and II c) showed pronounced amelioration of the structural changes depicted in the aorta of the hyperlipidemic subgroup. Conclusion: HFHC diet induced evident biochemical, histological and immunohistochemical changes in the rat aorta. It was also concluded that both Inegy and cinnamon oil offered good protection against the histopathological changes induced by HFHC diet. There were no statistical significant differences between the protective effect of both agents as regards the biochemical and morphometric results.