## 2 Results
### Animal Model
#### 2.5.5 Transcription of Genes in the Aorta and Liver  
Increased TAS and decreased GR in the blood in both the SAP and TERP study groups indicate the plants' antioxidant effects, and increased IL-10 in the blood in both study groups and decreased ROS in the SAP group indicate their anti-inflammatory effects. These findings are correlated with the increased expression of _LOX1_ mRNA in the aorta (Figure 2). The expression of the receptor for oxidized LDL increases in the case of oxidative stress and inflammatory processes and is one of the most important markers of the increased oxidation of LDL particles with their subsequent incorporation into the arterial walls and formation of atherosclerotic plaques. Atherogenesis stimulating factors, _TNF-\(\alpha\)_, oxLDL, and shear stress increase the expression of _LOX1_[42]. In our study, we found an increase in the expression of _NOS3_ (eNOS) in the aorta in the SAP group (statistically significant) and in the TERP group (not statistically significant), arguing for increased endothelial nitric oxide synthase activity, leading to an increase in vascular endothelial NO, the main vasodilatory factor. Additionally correlated with these results was a decrease, although not statistically significant, in the expression of the metalloproteinase _MMP1_ mRNA, evident in the TERP group. The reduction, although not statistically significant, in the expression of mRNA _NOX1_ in the SAP group, indicates a reduction in oxidative stress in the aorta. There was also a reduction, although not statistically significant, in _ACAT1_ in both groups; its increased expression was described in atherosclerotic plaques. Finally, although not statistically significant, _PPAR-\(\alpha\)_ and _PPAR-\(\gamma\)_ mRNA expression can be interpreted as positive. Rats have different metabolic pathways than humans or rabbits. Many authors interpret the reduction in _PPAR_ expression in rats as a positive indicator associated, for example, in the case of _PPAR-\(\gamma\)_, with reduced lipogenesis. Conversely, _PPAR-\(\alpha\)_ plays a pivotal role in controlling fatty acid oxidation. Synthetic _PPAR-\(\alpha\)_ agonists are currently used in the clinic as lipid-lowering and anti-atherosclerotic drugs. However, the potencies of these compounds at _PPAR-\(\alpha\)_ are lower than those of, e.g., monounsaturated FAE oleoylethanolamide and consequently do not significantly affect food intake [43]. In the livers (Figure 3) of the TERP group, expression of the transcription factor _LXR1_, which regulates cholesterol and fatty acid metabolism and reduces inflammatory processes, was increased [44]. LXR1 regulates fatty acid homeostasis through, among others, _SREBP-1c_, and this was increased, although not statistically significantly, in the TERP group. Conversely, mRNA expression of _HMGR_, a gene encoding a key enzyme in the endogenous synthesis of cholesterol in the liver, decreased in the SAP group, although not statistically significantly (statins also act in this mechanism, although they have pleiotropic effects, also positively influencing many other functions). In the SAP group, there was a decrease in _PPAR-\(\alpha\)_ and _PPAR-\(\gamma\)_ mRNA expression. The interpretation of these changes is analogous to that for the aorta. The expression of _ACAT1_ in the liver, responsible for the formation of cholesterol esters, decreased, but not statistically significantly, relative to the control group in the SAP group. Figure 2: Expression of genes after treatment of saponin and terpenoid fraction in Zucker rat aorta. CON, control group; SAP, rats fed a standard diet with the addition of saponin fraction; TERP, rats fed a standard diet with the addition of terpenoid fraction. Values were normalized against Gapdh expression and presented as a fold-change in relation to gene expression in a control group. Specific comparisons: * \(p\) < 0.05 vs. CON; # \(p\) < 0.05 vs. SAP (ANOVA followed by the post hoc test).