title: Effects of rosuvastatin on atrial nerve sprouting and electrical remodeling in rabbits with myocardial infarction.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study is to investigate the effect of rosuvastatin on atrial nerve sprouting and electrical remodeling after myocardial infarction (MI).
  
  
  METHODS
  Rabbit MI model was established by anterior descending branch ligation. These models were divided into the sham (n = 9), MI model (n = 7), and rosuvastatin intervention (n = 8) groups. Immunohistochemistry was used to detect the autonomic atrial nerve distribution. Real-time PCR and Western blot analysis were performed to evaluate the mRNA and protein expression levels, respectively.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Our results from immunohistochemistry showed that, compared with the sham group, the densities of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH)- and choline acetyltransferase (CHAT)-positive nerve fibers were significantly elevated in the MI model group. However, TH- and CHAT-positive nerve fibers were significantly decreased by rosuvastatin treatment, suggesting that rosuvastatin could reduce autonomic nerve sprouting in acute MI. Moreover, rosuvastatin decreased the mRNA and protein expression levels of TH in atrial tissues following MI. Compared with the sham group, the mRNA expression level of KCND3 was significantly down-regulated in the MI model group. And, this down-regulation was restored by rosuvastatin treatment. These results suggested that rosuvastatin could inhibit the electrical remodeling in atrium after acute MI.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Atrial nerve sprouting and electrical remodeling occur following MI, which could be suppressed by rosuvastatin treatment. Our findings provide insights into the understanding of the mechanism through which statins decrease the risk of atrium arrhythmia after MI.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, The Affiliated Hospital of Taishan Medical College Tai'an 271000, Shandong, China ; Department of Cardiology, Shandong Provincial Qianfoshan Hospital, Shandong University Jinan 250014, Shandong, China.
authors.forename: Xujuan
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Hou
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Shandong Provincial Qianfoshan Hospital, Shandong University Jinan 250014, Shandong, China.
authors.forename: Yujiao
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Shandong Provincial Qianfoshan Hospital, Shandong University Jinan 250014, Shandong, China.
authors.forename: Ximin
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Shandong Provincial Qianfoshan Hospital, Shandong University Jinan 250014, Shandong, China.
authors.forename: Shaohua
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zheng
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Shandong Provincial Qianfoshan Hospital, Shandong University Jinan 250014, Shandong, China.
authors.forename: Yinglong
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Hou
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Shandong Provincial Qianfoshan Hospital, Shandong University Jinan 250014, Shandong, China.
authors.forename: Mei
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gao
keywords: Rosuvastatin; atrial nerve sprouting; electrical remodeling; myocardial infarction