Effect of atorvastatin on angiogenesis in degenerated intervertebral disc in rat.
METHODS
An experimental study to measure the depth of penetration of new vessels in degenerated intervertebral disc in rat.


OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the effects of atorvastatin on angiogenesis in experimental disc degeneration in rat.


BACKGROUND
Back pain is strongly associated with degenerated intervertebral disc and management of this condition is still empirical. Decrease of nucleus nutrition due to loss of vascularity with aging may aggravate the process of disc degeneration. So, angiogenesis may be useful in the healing process of degenerated disc. In this study, we wanted to evaluate the effect of atorvastatin, whose stimulating effect on angiogenesis on other tissues was shown in several studies, on degenerated intervertebral disc in rat.


METHODS
Atorvastatin was administered intraperitoneally for 6 weeks in doses of 1, 4, and 8 mg/kg in rats after experimental disc degeneration. The rats intervertebral disc sections were stained immunohistochemically for von Willebrand Factor to evaluate the depth of vessels penetration and degree of vascularity.


RESULTS
In the nonoperated control group, the intervertebral discs were avascular. But experimental disc degeneration promoted angiogenesis. In this group, the mean of penetration was 49.25 μ (standard deviation = 19.905). Atorvastatin stimulated angiogenesis after experimental disc degeneration in the rats and the angiogenesis was more significant in the high and medium dose groups than operated control group. High-dose atorvastatin could not inhibit angiogenesis in experimental degenerated disc. There was no any significant difference in degree of vascularity among the groups.


CONCLUSIONS
Atorvastatin stimulates angiogenesis in experimental disc degeneration in rats. But, it does not show a biphasic effect.
Department of Neurosurgery, Neuroscience Research Center, Kerman, Iran. karamouzian@gmail.com
Saeid
S
Karamouzian
Hossein
H
Eskandary
Alireza
A
Saeed
Hamed
H
Reihani-Kermani
Hamid Reza
HR
Aboosaeedi
Reza
R
Malekpoor-Afshar
Hossein
H
Safizade
Mohammad
M
Eskandari
D043925:Angiogenesis Inducing Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000818:Animals; D000069059:Atorvastatin; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000378:metabolism; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D006538:Heptanoic Acids / Q000494:pharmacology*; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007403:Intervertebral Disc / Q000098:blood supply / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D055959:Intervertebral Disc Degeneration / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D018919:Neovascularization, Physiologic / Q000187:drug effects*; D011758:Pyrroles / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D013997:Time Factors; D014841:von Willebrand Factor / Q000378:metabolism
D043925:Angiogenesis Inducing Agents; D015415:Biomarkers; D006538:Heptanoic Acids; D011758:Pyrroles; D014841:von Willebrand Factor; D000069059:Atorvastatin