title: Effect of simvastatin on passive strain-induced skeletal muscle injury in rats.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors are the most frequently prescribed drugs for treatment of lipid imbalance, but they have side effects, such as myopathy. Our aim was to assess the effect of simvastatin on the inflammatory process induced by skeletal muscle injury.
  
  
  METHODS
  Rats were divided into experimental groups [control group, simvastatin (20 mg/kg) group, group treated with simvastatin (20 mg/kg) and subjected to injury, and group subjected to injury only]. Histological analysis and analyses of creatine kinase activity and C-reactive protein were performed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Animals treated with simvastatin exhibited significantly greater morphological and structural skeletal muscle damage in comparison to the control group and injured animals without treatment.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Although simvastatin has a small anti-inflammatory effect in the early stage after a muscle strain injury, the overall picture is negative, as simvastatin increases the extent of damage to muscle morphology. Further studies are needed.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, Department of Pharmacology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, Avenida Prof. Lineu Prestes, 1524, Butantan, São Paulo, SP 05508-900, Brazil. shaiane.tomazoni@gmail.com
authors.forename: Shaiane Silva
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Tomazoni
authors.forename: Ernesto Cesar Pinto
authors.initials: EC
authors.lastname: Leal-Junior
authors.forename: Rodney Capp
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Pallotta
authors.forename: Vanessa
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: De Godoi
authors.forename: Rafael Paolo
authors.initials: RP
authors.lastname: Rossi
authors.forename: Lúcio
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Frigo
authors.forename: Patrícia Sardinha
authors.initials: PS
authors.lastname: Leonardo
authors.forename: Patrícia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: De Almeida
authors.forename: Rodrigo Álvaro Brandão
authors.initials: RÁ
authors.lastname: Lopes-Martins
mesh_terms: D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000378:metabolism; D003402:Creatine Kinase / Q000097:blood; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D019161:Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology*; D009135:Muscular Diseases / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D019821:Simvastatin / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D013314:Stress, Mechanical
chemical_list: D019161:Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors; D002097:C-Reactive Protein; D019821:Simvastatin; D003402:Creatine Kinase