[Effect of the simvastatin in abdominal sepsis of diabetic rats].
OBJECTIVE
Infection and sepsis are major causes of morbidity and mortality after surgery of diabetic patients. Statins have been shown to exhibit anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory (pleiotropic) effects, independent of lipid lowering. This study aimed to observe whether the pretreatment with simvastatin in a cecal ligation and perforation model of sepsis is beneficial in diabetic rats.


METHODS
Fifty six Wistar rats were randomly assigned to non-diabetic group (n=28), and streptozotocin-induced diabetic group (n=28). Abdominal sepsis was induced in 14 diabetic and in 14 non diabetic rats and the other 28 rats were allocated on sham group. Sepsis rats and sham rats (each with 7 animals) were treated with oral simvastatin (20 mg kg-1 day-1) or normal saline solution 0.9%. Peripheral blood TNFalpha, IL-1beta, IL-6, C-reactive protein, procalcitonin, leukocytes and neutrophils were tested in all the animals. Statistical analysis was done by ANOVA and Tukey test, with p<0.05.


RESULTS
Simvastatin reduced mortality in diabetic rats. Peripheral blood TNFalpha, IL-1beta, IL-6, C-reactive protein, procalcitonin, leukocytes and neutrophils were lower in diabetic and non diabetics septic rats treated with simvastatin, than after saline treatment.


CONCLUSIONS
Simvastatin showed anti-inflammatory effect, which could play some protection against the progress of sepsis in diabetic rats.
Araújo-Filho
Irami
I
Departamento de Cirurgia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, Brasil.
Jácome
Daniel Tôrres
DT
Rêgo
Amália Cínthia Meneses
AC
Azevedo
Italo Medeiros
IM
Egito
Eryvaldo Sócrates Tabosa
ES
Medeiros
Aldo Cunha
AC
D000005:Abdomen; D000818:Animals; D048909:Diabetes Complications / Q000517:prevention & control*; D003921:Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental / Q000150:complications*; D019161:Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011300:Preoperative Care; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D018805:Sepsis / Q000517:prevention & control*; D019821:Simvastatin / Q000627:therapeutic use*
D019161:Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors; D019821:Simvastatin