Fig. 9

Effect of S. indicus extract on aortic lipid deposition in diet-induced hyperlipidemic hamsters. Animals were fed high fat high cholesterol diet and concomitantly dosed by oral gavage At the end of 10 weeks of treatment, hamsters were euthanized under CO₂ and blood withdrawn by cardiac puncture and processed plasma lipid and glucose analysis. Their thorax was opened and vasculature perfused first with heparinized saline then with 10 % formalin. The aorta attached to heart and containing aortic arch, thoracic and abdominal aorta to the femoral artery bifurcation were removed and placed in 10 % formalin for en face staining and lesion quantitation. Aortic lipid contents were quantitated by en face staining with Oil Red O and atherosclerotic lesion area coverage determined by image analysis