title: Protection by atorvastatin pretreatment in patients undergoing primary percutaneous coronary intervention is associated with the lower levels of oxygen free radicals.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aims of this study were to investigate the effects of atorvastatin pretreatment on the oxygen free radicals and its protective role on the myocardial cell during the ischemic reperfusion injury.
  
  
  METHODS
  One hundred fifty-six patients with ST elevation myocardial infarction undergoing percutaneous coronary interventions, aged from 29 to 85 years, were selected. Eighty patients were randomly assigned to placebo group and 76 to statin treatment (80-mg loading dose given a mean of 1.5 hours before percutaneous coronary intervention). The nitrogen monoxidum, malondialdehyde, and superoxide dismutase (SOD) were assayed before and after reperfusion. Thrombolysis in myocardial infarction (TIMI) grade and corrected TIMI frame count were measured after reperfusion. The creatine kinase-MB and troponin T peak levels after myocardial infarction were recorded.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There was no significant difference in the nitrogen monoxidum, malondialdehyde, and SOD levels (P > 0.05) between the 2 groups before intervention. After the reperfusion, significantly lower creatine kinase-MB (289.9 ± 180.8 U/L vs. 360.5 ± 206.4 U/L, P = 0.025) and troponin T (4.60 ± 3.13 ng/mL vs. 6.01 ± 4.98 ng/mL, P = 0.035) peak levels can be observed in the statin versus the placebo group, and the SOD level of the statin group is higher than that of the placebo group (34.14 ± 15.07 U/mL vs. 29.06 ± 12.76 U/mL, P = 0.024).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Atorvastatin can reduce oxygen free radicals developed in reperfusion, imposing protective effect on the myocardial cell during ischemic reperfusion injury.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Beijing Friendship Hospital, the Capital Medical University, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Miao
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Hongwei
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Yongliang
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000069059:Atorvastatin; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D002316:Cardiotonic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005260:Female; D006538:Heptanoic Acids / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D019161:Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery; D015428:Myocardial Reperfusion Injury / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D062645:Percutaneous Coronary Intervention / Q000009:adverse effects*; D011292:Premedication; D011758:Pyrroles / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species / Q000097:blood*; D012720:Severity of Illness Index
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D002316:Cardiotonic Agents; D006538:Heptanoic Acids; D019161:Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors; D011758:Pyrroles; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species; D000069059:Atorvastatin