Based on the therapy of benefiting the heart and removing blood stasis and phlegm,this paper discusses the mechanism of modified Buyang Huanwu Decoction (BHD) in preventing atherosclerosis by regulating nuclear factor E2 related factor 2(Nrf2)/antioxidant response element(ARE) signaling pathway.This study selected ApoE^-/- mice for model replication.After successful model replication,50 ApoE^-/- mice were randomly divided into model group,modified BHD (low,medium and high doses) group,and atorvastatin group,with ten mice in each group;Ten wild-type ApoE^-/- mice with C57BL/6J background as a control group.Starting from the 9th week,gavage was administered continuously for four weeks.HE and Oil Red O staining methods were used to observe the pathological and morphological changes of mouse aortic sinuses.Immunohistochemical method was used to detect the expression levels of advanced oxidative protein product(AOPP) and reactive oxygen species(ROS).Biochemical analyzer determination was used to detect the expression levels of blood fat in mouse serum.ELISA method was used to detect the expression levels of oxidative stress related factors such as malondialdehyde(MDA),superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) in mouse serum.Western blot method was used to detect the expressions of sirtuin1(SIRT1),Nrf2,heme oxygenase-1(HO-1) and NAD(P)H:quinone oxidoreductase(NQO1) proteins in mouse aorta.RT-PCR was used to detect the mRNA expression of HO-1 and NQO1 genes.These results showed that modified BHD could improve the pathological changes of aortic sinus in AS model mice(P＜0.01),reduce the lipid content in the aortic sinus of AS model mice(P＜0.05),reduce the expression levels of AOPP and ROS proteins in aortic plaques(P＜0.01),increase the expression level of how-density lipoprotein cholesterol in mouse serum(P＜0.01),and reduce the expression levels of total cholesterol,triglyceride and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (P＜0.01),increase the expression levels of SOD and GSH-Px(P＜0.01),and reduce the expression level of MDA(P＜0.01),upregulate the expression levels of SIRT1,Nrf2,HO-1 and NQO1 proteins in mouse aorta(P＜0.01),and it could also upregulate the mRNA expression levels of HO-1 and NQO1 genes in the mouse aorta(P＜0.01).These findings indicated that modified BHD exerts an anti AS effect by regulating oxidative stress damage,and some mechanisms may be related to the activation of Nrf2/ARE signaling pathway.

"> atherosclerosis, therapy of benefiting the heart and removing blood stasis and phlegm, Buyang Huanwu Decoction, Nrf2/ARE signaling pathway, oxidative stress damage