title: Atorvastatin prevented and reversed dexamethasone-induced hypertension in the rat.
abstract: To assess the antioxidant effects of atorvastatin (atorva) on dexamethasone (dex)-induced hypertension, 60 male Sprague-Dawley rats were treated with atorva 30 mg/kg/day or tap water for 15 days. Dex increased systolic blood pressure (SBP) from 109 +/- 1.8 to 135 +/- 0.6 mmHg and plasma superoxide (5711 +/- 284.9 saline, 7931 +/- 392.8 U/ml dex, P < 0.001). In this prevention study, SBP in the atorva + dex group was increased from 115 +/- 0.4 to 124 +/- 1.5 mmHg, but this was significantly lower than in the dex-only group (P' < 0.05). Atorva reversed dex-induced hypertension (129 +/- 0.6 mmHg, vs. 135 +/- 0.6 mmHg P' < 0.05) and decreased plasma superoxide (7931 +/- 392.8 dex, 1187 +/- 441.2 atorva + dex, P < 0.0001). Plasma nitrate/nitrite (NOx) was decreased in dex-treated rats compared to saline-treated rats (11.2 +/- 1.08 microm, 15.3 +/- 1.17 microm, respectively, P < 0.05). Atorva affected neither plasma NOx nor thymus weight. Thus, atorvastatin prevented and reversed dexamethasone-induced hypertension in the rat.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Cardiology, Second Hospital, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, P.R. China. cmondo@excite.com
authors.forename: Charles Kiiza
authors.initials: CK
authors.lastname: Mondo
authors.forename: Wan-Song
authors.initials: WS
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Ji-Zhou
authors.initials: JZ
authors.lastname: Su
authors.forename: Ti-Gang
authors.initials: TG
authors.lastname: Huang
mesh_terms: D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D000069059:Atorvastatin; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000187:drug effects; D001835:Body Weight / Q000187:drug effects; D003907:Dexamethasone / Q000009:adverse effects*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D015536:Down-Regulation / Q000187:drug effects; D005938:Glucocorticoids / Q000009:adverse effects*; D006538:Heptanoic Acids / Q000494:pharmacology*; D019161:Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006973:Hypertension / Q000097:blood / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000517:prevention & control*; D008297:Male; D009566:Nitrates / Q000097:blood; D052250:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type III / Q000187:drug effects; D009573:Nitrites / Q000097:blood; D009929:Organ Size / Q000187:drug effects; D011758:Pyrroles / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D013481:Superoxides / Q000097:blood; D013950:Thymus Gland / Q000033:anatomy & histology
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D005938:Glucocorticoids; D006538:Heptanoic Acids; D019161:Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors; D009566:Nitrates; D009573:Nitrites; D011758:Pyrroles; D013481:Superoxides; D003907:Dexamethasone; D000069059:Atorvastatin; D052250:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type III