Reduction of cerebral infarction in stroke-prone spontaneously hypertensive rats by statins associated with amelioration of oxidative stress.
OBJECTIVE
This study aimed to clarify the effect of statins on spontaneous stroke and to examine the antioxidative effect in artificial transient middle cerebral artery occlusion (tMCAO).


METHODS
Stroke-prone spontaneous hypertensive rats (SHR-SP) were treated with pitavastatin, atorvastatin, simvastatin, or vehicle for 4 weeks. Physiological parameters, serum lipids, and infarct volumes were examined. The markers for oxidative stresses on lipids and DNA were immunohistochemically detected in vehicle-treated or simvastatin-treated SHR-SP with tMCAO.


RESULTS
Atorvastatin and simvastatin decreased infarct volumes, with simvastatin most effective. Simvastatin significantly reduced immunoreactivities for oxidative stress markers for lipids and DNA in neurons after tMCAO.


CONCLUSIONS
The results suggest that the antioxidative properties of statins may be implicated in their beneficial effects against neuronal damage in cerebral ischemia.
Nagotani
Shoko
S
Department of Neurology, Graduate School of Medicine and Dentistry, Okayama University, Okayama, Japan.
Hayashi
Takeshi
T
Sato
Keiko
K
Zhang
Wenri
W
Deguchi
Kentaro
K
Nagano
Isao
I
Shoji
Mikio
M
Abe
Koji
K
D000080242:8-Hydroxy-2'-Deoxyguanosine; D000447:Aldehydes / Q000276:immunology; D000818:Animals; D000069059:Atorvastatin; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000502:physiology; D001835:Body Weight / Q000502:physiology; D003849:Deoxyguanosine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000276:immunology; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D006538:Heptanoic Acids / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006903:Hydroxymethylglutaryl CoA Reductases / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D020244:Infarction, Middle Cerebral Artery / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D008055:Lipids / Q000097:blood; D008239:Lysine / Q000276:immunology; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000502:physiology*; D011758:Pyrroles / Q000627:therapeutic use; D011804:Quinolines / Q000627:therapeutic use; D051381:Rats; D011918:Rats, Inbred SHR; D019821:Simvastatin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016019:Survival Analysis
D000447:Aldehydes; D006538:Heptanoic Acids; D008055:Lipids; C120589:N(epsilon)-hexanoyllysine; D011758:Pyrroles; D011804:Quinolines; D000080242:8-Hydroxy-2'-Deoxyguanosine; D000069059:Atorvastatin; D019821:Simvastatin; D006903:Hydroxymethylglutaryl CoA Reductases; D003849:Deoxyguanosine; C027576:4-hydroxy-2-nonenal; D008239:Lysine; C108475:pitavastatin