Simvastatin improves the healing of infected skin wounds of rats.
OBJECTIVE
This study explores the potential of the simvastatin to ameliorate inflammation and infection in open infected skin wounds of rats.


METHODS
Fourteen Wistar rats weighing 285 +/- 12g were used. The study was done in a group whose open infected skin wounds were treated with topical application of simvastatin microemulsion (SIM, n=7) and a second group with wounds treated with saline 0.9 % (SAL, n=7). A bacteriological exam of the wounds fluid for gram positive and gram negative bacteria, the tecidual expression of TNFá and IL-1â by immunohistochemical technique, and histological analysis by HE stain were performed.


RESULTS
The expression of TNFa could be clearly demonstrated in lower degree in skin wounds treated with simvastatin (668.6 +/- 74.7 ìm(2)) than in saline (2120.0 +/-327.1 ìm(2)). In comparison, wound tissue from SIM group displayed leukocyte infiltration significantly lower than that observed in SAL group (p<0.05). Culture results of the samples taken from wound fluid on fourth post treatment day revealed wound infection in only one rat of group simvastatin (SIM), where Proteus mirabilis, Escherichia coli and Enterobacter sp were isolated. In the rats whose wounds were treated with saline (SAL), polymicrobial infection with more than 100,000 CFU/g was detected in all the wounds.


CONCLUSIONS
In addition to its antiinflammatory properties, the protective effects of simvastatin in infected open skin wounds is able to reduce infection and probably has antibacterial action. The potential to treat these wounds with statins to ameliorate inflammation and infection is promising.
Rego
Amália Cínthia Meneses do
AC
Department of Surgery, School of Medicine, Federal University of Rio Grande Norte, Natal, Brazil.
Araújo Filho
Irami
I
Damasceno
Bolívar P G L
BP
Egito
Eryvaldo Sócrates Tabosa
ES
Silveira
Ivanaldo Amâncio da
IA
Brandão-Neto
José
J
Medeiros
Aldo Cunha
AC
D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004353:Drug Evaluation, Preclinical; D006090:Gram-Negative Bacteria / Q000187:drug effects; D006094:Gram-Positive Bacteria / Q000187:drug effects; D019161:Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D007249:Inflammation / Q000188:drug therapy; D053583:Interleukin-1beta / Q000378:metabolism; D011897:Random Allocation; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D019821:Simvastatin / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D013530:Surgical Wound Infection / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000378:metabolism; D014945:Wound Healing / Q000187:drug effects*
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D019161:Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors; D053583:Interleukin-1beta; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D019821:Simvastatin