In our study, treatment with acarbose (2.5 and 5.0 mg kg−1) led to a significant and dose-dependent increase in neointimal IL-6 and TNF-α expression and decrease in neointimal iNOS expression in HCD-fed rabbits, indicating that acarbose inhibits atherosclerosis by reducing IL-6- and TNF-α-associated chronic inflammation and by increasing NO. This evidence concerns the gene IL6 and atherosclerosis.