title: Pre-treatment with simvastatin prevents the induction of diet-induced atherosclerosis in a rabbit model.
abstract: The aim of the present study was to investigate the potential antiatherosclerotic activities of simvastatin in rabbits. Twenty-two, male, New Zealand rabbits were divided into the following groups: Control group (group C); cholesterol group (group A), in which the rabbits were fed a commercial rabbit chow supplemented with 0.5% w/w cholesterol for 8 weeks and then fed with normal chow for an additional 8 weeks; and a treatment group (group B), in which the rabbits initially received standard commercial rabbit chow along with being administered simvastatin for 8 weeks, following which they consumed a high-cholesterol diet for a further 8 weeks. The rabbits pre-treated with simvastatin presented significantly lower serum cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels when compared with the non simvastatin-treated cholesterol-fed animals. Furthermore, none of the rabbits in the simvastatin group presented with atherosclerotic lesions in the aorta. Thus, simvastatin was demonstrated to exhibit preventive properties against the formation of atherosclerosis in the atherosclerosis model in the current study, predominantly via its hypolipidemic activity.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Experimental Surgery and Surgical Research 'N.S. Christeas', National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Medical School, Athens 11527, Greece.
authors.forename: Nikolaos
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Oikonomidis
authors.affiliation: 1st Department of Pathology, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Medical School, Laiko University Hospital, Athens 11527, Greece.
authors.forename: Nikolaos
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kavantzas
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Experimental Surgery and Surgical Research 'N.S. Christeas', National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Medical School, Athens 11527, Greece.
authors.forename: Laskarina-Maria
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Korou
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Experimental Surgery and Surgical Research 'N.S. Christeas', National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Medical School, Athens 11527, Greece.
authors.forename: Panagiotis
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Konstantopoulos
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Experimental Surgery and Surgical Research 'N.S. Christeas', National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Medical School, Athens 11527, Greece.
authors.forename: Vasilios
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Pergialiotis
authors.affiliation: 3rd Department of Surgery, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Medical School, Attikon University Hospital, Athens 12462, Greece.
authors.forename: Evangelos
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Misiakos
authors.affiliation: 2nd Department of Cardiology, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Medical School, Attikon University Hospital, Athens 12462, Greece.
authors.forename: Ioannis
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Rizos
authors.affiliation: 2nd Department of Propedeutic Surgery, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Medical School, Laiko University Hospital, Athens 11527, Greece.
authors.forename: Christos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Verikokos
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Experimental Surgery and Surgical Research 'N.S. Christeas', National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Medical School, Athens 11527, Greece.
authors.forename: Despina N
authors.initials: DN
authors.lastname: Perrea
keywords: atherosclerosis; cholesterol; cholesterol diet; rabbits; simvastatin