title: Atorvastatin ameliorates tissue damage of obstructed ureter in rats.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the effects of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A (HMG-CoA) reductase inhibitor on the tissue damage and fibrosis of obstructed ureters, 80 rats were studied.
  
  
  METHODS
  Atorvastatin, a HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor, was administered to 40 rats at the dose of 20 mg/kg per day 1day before unilateral ligation of ureters and every day thereafter. The other rats served as controls. Eight rats from each group were sacrificed for examination on days 7, 14, 21, 28 and 42 after ligation, respectively. The expressions of transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1), Interleukine-1β (IL-1β), Interleukine-6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), proliferation cell nuclear antigen (PCNA), and the apoptotic cells in the ureteric smooth muscle were examined.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Hydroureter and fibrosis of the muscle layer became progressively aggravated in the ligated ureters of the atorvastatin-treated group and control group. The severities of hydroureter and muscle layer fibrosis in the ligated ureters of the treated group were significantly less than in the control group. The atorvastatin administration also decreased the expression of TGF-β1, IL-1β, IL-6, TNF-α, PCNA and the labeling index of apoptotic cells in the smooth muscle layer of ligated ureters in the treated group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We concluded that atorvastatin might ameliorate the tissue damage of obstructed ureters, at least partially, via the inhibition on TGF-β1) expression and by diminishing the effects of pro-inflammatory cytokines.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Yen-Hwang
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Chuang
authors.forename: Wan-Long
authors.initials: WL
authors.lastname: Chuang
authors.forename: Shu-Pin
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Ching-Kuan
authors.initials: CK
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Chun-Hsiung
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Huang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis; D000069059:Atorvastatin; D016207:Cytokines / Q000096:biosynthesis; D005260:Female; D005355:Fibrosis; D006538:Heptanoic Acids / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006869:Hydronephrosis / Q000473:pathology; D019161:Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D020287:In Situ Nick-End Labeling; D009130:Muscle, Smooth / Q000502:physiology; D018809:Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen / Q000096:biosynthesis; D011758:Pyrroles / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D053773:Transforming Growth Factor beta1 / Q000096:biosynthesis; D014513:Ureter / Q000473:pathology*; D014517:Ureteral Obstruction / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D016207:Cytokines; D006538:Heptanoic Acids; D019161:Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors; D018809:Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen; D011758:Pyrroles; D053773:Transforming Growth Factor beta1; D000069059:Atorvastatin