Rosuvastatin treatment prevents progressive kidney inflammation and fibrosis in stroke-prone rats.
Salt-loaded, spontaneously hypertensive stroke-prone rats show progressive increases in blood pressure and proteinuria and accumulate acute-phase proteins in body fluids, modeling events during renal damage. The aim of this study was to assess the pathological events occurring in the kidney of spontaneously hypertensive stroke-prone rats over time and evaluate the effects of statin treatment, which is known to improve renal and cardiovascular outcomes. Kidneys of male spontaneously hypertensive stroke-prone rats euthanized at different stages of proteinuria showed progressive inflammatory cell infiltration, the accumulation of alpha-smooth muscle actin-positive cells, degenerative changes in podocytes, and severe fibrosis. These were accompanied by an imbalance in the plasminogen/plasmin and metalloprotease systems characterized by the increased renal expression of plasminogen activator inhibitor-1, tissue plasminogen activator, and urokinase plasminogen activator; the net result was an increase in plasmin and matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-2 and a reduction in MMP-9 activity. Chronic treatment with the hydrophilic rosuvastatin had renoprotective effects in terms of morphology and inflammation and prevented the changes in plasmin, MMP-2, and MMP-9 activity. These effects were independent of the changes in blood pressure and plasma lipid levels. Treatment with the lipophilic simvastatin was not renoprotective. These data suggest that rosuvastatin may have potential utility as a therapeutic option in renal diseases that are characterized by inflammation and fibrosis.
Gianella
Anita
A
Department of Pharmacological Sciences, University of Milan, Via Balzaretti 9, 20133 Milano, Italy. luigi.sironi@unimi.it.
Nobili
Elena
E
Abbate
Mauro
M
Zoja
Carla
C
Gelosa
Paolo
P
Mussoni
Luciana
L
Bellosta
Stefano
S
Canavesi
Monica
M
Rottoli
Daniela
D
Guerrini
Uliano
U
Brioschi
Maura
M
Banfi
Cristina
C
Tremoli
Elena
E
Remuzzi
Giuseppe
G
Sironi
Luigi
L
D000199:Actins / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000187:drug effects; D015153:Blotting, Western; D003094:Collagen / Q000378:metabolism; D018450:Disease Progression; D005340:Fibrinogen / Q000378:metabolism; D005341:Fibrinolysin / Q000378:metabolism; D005355:Fibrosis; D005464:Fluorobenzenes / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D019161:Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology; D007249:Inflammation / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D007668:Kidney / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000473:pathology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D008297:Male; D020778:Matrix Metalloproteinase 2 / Q000378:metabolism; D020780:Matrix Metalloproteinase 9 / Q000378:metabolism; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D017395:Plasminogen Activator Inhibitor 1 / Q000378:metabolism; D010960:Plasminogen Activators / Q000378:metabolism; D050199:Podocytes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D011507:Proteinuria / Q000517:prevention & control; D011743:Pyrimidines / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats; D011918:Rats, Inbred SHR; D000068718:Rosuvastatin Calcium; D019821:Simvastatin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology; D020521:Stroke / Q000503:physiopathology; D013449:Sulfonamides / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*
D000199:Actins; D005464:Fluorobenzenes; D019161:Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors; D017395:Plasminogen Activator Inhibitor 1; D011743:Pyrimidines; D013449:Sulfonamides; D000068718:Rosuvastatin Calcium; D005340:Fibrinogen; D003094:Collagen; D019821:Simvastatin; D010960:Plasminogen Activators; D005341:Fibrinolysin; D020778:Matrix Metalloproteinase 2; D020780:Matrix Metalloproteinase 9