title: Evaluation of the Anti-inflammatory Activity of Atorvastatin and its Effect on Alveolar Diameter in a Model of Elastase-induced Emphysema in Rats.
abstract: Statins are cholesterol-lowering agents and some of them, like simvastatin, have anti-inflammatory effects. In this study, we evaluated the effect of atorvastatin on nitric oxide (NO) release, leukocytes levels and alveolar diameter related to the inflammatory process associated with elastase-induced emphysema in rats. 32 rats were divided into 4 groups, n=8: control (C), atorvastatin (A), emphysema (E), and emphysema+atorvastatin (EA). On day 0 (zero), groups C and A received intratracheal instillation of saline (0.2 ml), and groups E and EA received elastase (0.2 ml). Groups A and EA received atorvastatin (20 mg/kg) and C and E received vehicle, by gavage, for 25 days. Animals were euthanized, slices of lung stained and the alveolar diameters measured. Data obtained show that the treatment with atorvastatin (EA group) did not reduce the alveolar diameter (35.3 vs. 32.3), NO (2.7 vs. 3.0 μM) or the leukocyte count (111 vs. 136) compared with the E group, indicating that different statins, like simvastatin or atorvastatin, have different behavior in inflammatory processes like in elastase-induced development of emphysema in rats.
authors.affiliation: Post graduation Program in Rehabilitation Sciences, Nove de Julho University, Sao Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: R F
authors.initials: RF
authors.lastname: Boiati
authors.affiliation: Post graduation Program in Rehabilitation Sciences, Nove de Julho University, Sao Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: M T
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Manchini
authors.affiliation: Post graduation Program in Rehabilitation Sciences, Nove de Julho University, Sao Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Jacobsen
authors.affiliation: Post graduation Program in Rehabilitation Sciences, Nove de Julho University, Sao Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: J G
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: dos Santos Batista
authors.affiliation: Post graduation Program in Rehabilitation Sciences, Nove de Julho University, Sao Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Silva Júnior
authors.affiliation: Post graduation Program in Rehabilitation Sciences, Nove de Julho University, Sao Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: J W L
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Nascimento
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000069059:Atorvastatin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D007249:Inflammation / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D007962:Leukocytes / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000378:metabolism; D010196:Pancreatic Elastase / Q000633:toxicity; D011650:Pulmonary Alveoli / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D011656:Pulmonary Emphysema / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar
chemical_list: D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents; D009569:Nitric Oxide; D000069059:Atorvastatin; D010196:Pancreatic Elastase