Anti-atherosclerotic Effects of Oats (Avena Sativa) on Blood Vessels of Albino Rats’ Tongue

Abstract

Atherosclerosis is characterized by vascular areas containing mononuclear and smooth muscle cells proliferation causing the arterial wall to harden and thicken (3) .Atherosclerosis begins with endothelium damage, resulting in dysfunction of the vasodilated ABSTRACT Objective: To investigate anti-atherosclerotic effect of oats against increased fat diet which result in atherosclerosis in albino rats.Methodology: 30 adult male albino rats divided into three groups, 10 rats each: group I: negative control take basal diet, group II take diet with increased cholesterol level for 8 weeks, group III fed on diet with increased cholesterol level for 60 days then given oats-supplemented diet (20% b/w) besides the same diet of cholesterol for another 4 weeks. The animals were euthanized under mild ether anesthesia at the end of 8th week for group II and at the end of 12th week for group III. and the blood was taken from inner canthus of the eye, total serum cholesterol level has been observed and each animal has cholesterol level more than 250 mg/dl was estimated to be hyperlipidemic rat. Rats' tongue carefully dissected out and processed for Haematoxylin & Eosin and alpha smooth muscle actin staining.Results: histological examination revealed that atherosclerosis would lead to endothelial damage of the blood vessels of the tongue; rats received oats in their diet showed regeneration of the endothelial cells. Immuno-histochemical study showed increase positive immunoreactivity in blood vessels of tongue of group II rats that received high fat diet compared with rats of negative control group or rats of oat group Conclusion: including oats in diet can be effective in reducing serum cholesterol.