title: Simvastatin treatment does not protect retinal ganglion cells from degeneration in a rat model of autoimmune optic neuritis.
abstract: In patients with multiple sclerosis (MS), non-remitting deficits are mainly caused by axonal and neuronal damage. We demonstrated previously that myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein (MOG)-induced experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis in rats provokes severe axonal and neuronal injury even before clinical manifestation of the disease. In our present study, we investigated effects of simvastatin treatment on degeneration of retinal ganglion cell (RGC) bodies as well as their axons during MOG-induced optic neuritis. Electrophysiological functions of optic nerves and RGCs were analyzed in vivo. Although neuroprotective effects of simvastatin have been demonstrated before in other experimental settings, we did not observe an increase in RGC survival nor an improvement of visual functions. As we could not reproduce the anti-inflammatory effects that were observed under statin therapy in other EAE models, we hypothesize that patients suffering from optic neuritis might not take advantage of simvastatin applications.
authors.affiliation: Neurologische Universitätsklinik, Robert-Koch-Str. 40, 37075, Göttingen, Germany. msaettl@gwdg.de
authors.forename: Muriel B
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Sättler
authors.forename: Ricarda
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Diem
authors.forename: Doron
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Merkler
authors.forename: Iris
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Demmer
authors.forename: Ina
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Boger
authors.forename: Christine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Stadelmann
authors.forename: Mathias
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bähr
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D005260:Female; D020721:Nervous System Autoimmune Disease, Experimental / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D009902:Optic Neuritis / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D051381:Rats; D011914:Rats, Inbred BN; D012162:Retinal Degeneration / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D012165:Retinal Ganglion Cells / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D019821:Simvastatin / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D018696:Neuroprotective Agents; D019821:Simvastatin