title: [Effects of atorvastatin on p27 protein expression and cardiomyocytes apoptosis in spontaneously hypertensive rats].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To explore the effects of atorvastatin on p27 protein expression and cardiomyocytes apoptosis in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR).
  
  
  METHODS
  12 eight-week-old SHR were randomized into 2 groups (n = 6): distilled water group (DW group) and atorvastatin treated group (ATV group). The age-matched wistar-kyoto rats (WKY) were used as controls (WKY group). RT-PCR and Western blot were used to detect, respectively, p27 mRNA and protein expression levels. TUNEL technique was used to detect the apoptotic rate of cardiomyocytes. Meanwhile, left ventricular weight and body weight ratio (LVW/BW), and serum lipids levels were examined in this study.
  
  
  RESULTS
  After 10 weeks treatment with atorvastatin, (1) serum lipids levels and LVW and LVW/BW ratio in ATV group were markedly decreased compared to DW group; (2) the apoptotic rate of cardiomyocytes in ATV group was much higher than that in DW group; (3) the mRNA and protein levels of p27 expression in ATV group were also increased markedly compared to DW group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Atorvastatin upregulated the expression of p27 at its mRNA and protein level, and also, facilitated cardiomyocytes apoptosis, which, to a certain extent, might be associated with its effect on the regulation of ventricular hypertrophy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, The First Affiliated Hospital, College of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310003, China.
authors.forename: Lan
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Kang
authors.forename: Shen-Jiang
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Hu
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000924:Anticholesteremic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects*; D000069059:Atorvastatin; D050760:Cyclin-Dependent Kinase Inhibitor p27 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D006538:Heptanoic Acids / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006973:Hypertension / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D017379:Hypertrophy, Left Ventricular / Q000517:prevention & control; D008297:Male; D032383:Myocytes, Cardiac / Q000473:pathology*; D011758:Pyrroles / Q000494:pharmacology*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D011897:Random Allocation; D051381:Rats; D011918:Rats, Inbred SHR
chemical_list: D000924:Anticholesteremic Agents; C493962:Cdkn1b protein, rat; D006538:Heptanoic Acids; D011758:Pyrroles; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D050760:Cyclin-Dependent Kinase Inhibitor p27; D000069059:Atorvastatin