Pravastatin attenuates cardiovascular inflammatory and proliferative changes in a rat model of chronic inhibition of nitric oxide synthesis by its cholesterol-lowering independent actions.
Recent studies suggest that some of the beneficial effects of 3-hydroxyl-3-methylglutaryl (HMG)-CoA reductase inhibitors such as pravastatin may be through their cholesterol-lowering independent effects on the blood vessels. We have recently reported that chronic inhibition of nitric oxide (NO) synthesis with N(omega)nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME) increases systolic blood pressure and induces coronary vascular inflammatory changes in rats. We designed this study to investigate whether treatment with pravastatin attenuates such proarteriosclerotic changes through their cholesterol-lowering independent effects. Several groups of Wistar-Kyoto rats were studied: the control group, L group received L-NAME in their drinking water (100 mg/kg per day) and L+Px group received L-NAME plus pravastatin (50, 100 or 250 mg/kg per day). We observed marked increases in monocyte infiltration into the coronary arteries, proliferative cell nuclear antigen-positive cells, and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) expression in the heart on day 3 after L-NAME administration began. Treatment with pravastatin did not affect serum cholesterol levels or systolic blood pressure but did reduce the L-NAME induced inflammatory and proliferative changes. Pravastatin also attenuated the MCP-1 gene expression induced by L-NAME. In summary, pravastatin inhibited the inflammatory and proliferative changes in the coronary vessels through their cholesterol-independent effects in this model, which may provide an insight into the mechanisms of anti-inflammatory or anti-arteriosclerotic actions of pravastatin.
Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan.
K
K
Egashira
W
W
Ni
S
S
Inoue
C
C
Kataoka
S
S
Kitamoto
M
M
Koyanagi
A
A
Takeshita
D000818:Animals; D000924:Anticholesteremic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000187:drug effects; D018932:Chemokine CCL2 / Q000235:genetics; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood; D003331:Coronary Vessels / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000473:pathology; D015870:Gene Expression / Q000187:drug effects; D008297:Male; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors* / Q000096:biosynthesis; D017035:Pravastatin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D011921:Rats, Inbred WKY; D013599:Systole; D013997:Time Factors; D014657:Vasculitis / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology
D000924:Anticholesteremic Agents; D018932:Chemokine CCL2; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D009569:Nitric Oxide; D002784:Cholesterol; D017035:Pravastatin