title: Simvastatin improves morphological and functional recovery of sciatic nerve injury in Wistar rats.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this work is to investigate the effects of simvastatin on sciatic nerve regeneration in male Wistar Rats.
  
  
  METHODS
  Forty animals were allocated into four groups: (1) control (C); (2) control+simvastatin (CS); (3) lesioned animals+sterile PBS (LC) and (4) lesioned animals+simvastatin (LS). Lesioned animals were submitted to crushing lesion of right sciatic nerve. Simvastatin (20mg/kg/day, i.p.) was administered for five days. Footprints were obtained weekly for evaluation of functional locomotor recovery by means of the Sciatic Function Index (SFI). Blood samples were obtained weekly for quantifying circulating leukocytes. Animals were sacrificed after 21 days for histological analyses of sciatic nerve and spleen.
  
  
  RESULTS
  LS Animals presented increased SFI scores, decreased areas of oedema and mononuclear cell infiltration during Wallerian degeneration and nerve regeneration (7,14 and 21 days; P<0.05). Spleen weight and white pulp areas was increased in LC animals after 21 days. Increased numbers of circulating neutrophils were observed in simvastatin treated animals (CS e LS) at seven, 14 and 21 days, compared to non-treated groups (C and LC).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The study suggests that simvastatin accelerates the morphological and functional recovery process of the peripheral nervous system interfering with innate and acquired immunity.
authors.affiliation: Universidade Estadual de Londrina, Londrina, PR, Brazil.
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Xavier
authors.forename: K G G
authors.initials: KG
authors.lastname: Serafim
authors.forename: D T
authors.initials: DT
authors.lastname: Higashi
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Vanat
authors.forename: K K M da C
authors.initials: KK
authors.lastname: Flaiban
authors.forename: C P C M
authors.initials: CP
authors.lastname: Siqueira
authors.forename: E J
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Venâncio
authors.forename: S de P
authors.initials: Sde P
authors.lastname: Ramos
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D008297:Male; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000187:drug effects*; D009416:Nerve Regeneration / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000276:immunology; D059348:Peripheral Nerve Injuries / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D020127:Recovery of Function / Q000187:drug effects*; D012584:Sciatic Nerve / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000293:injuries / Q000503:physiopathology; D019821:Simvastatin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D013154:Spleen / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D019821:Simvastatin