Changes of Pulmonary Pathology and Gene Expressions After Simvastatin Treatment in the Monocrotaline-Induced Pulmonary Hypertension Rat Model.
10.4070/kcj.2011.41.9.518
- Author:
Yun Hee LEE
1
;
Kwan Chang KIM
;
Min Sun CHO
;
Young Mi HONG
Author Information
1. Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, Ewha Womans University, Seoul, Korea. ymhong@ewha.ac.kr
- Publication Type:Original Article
- Keywords:
Hypertension, pulmonary;
Gene expression;
Monocrotaline;
Simvastatin
- MeSH:
Animals;
Arterioles;
Caspase 3;
Endothelins;
Gene Expression;
Humans;
Hypertension, Pulmonary;
Hypertrophy, Right Ventricular;
Male;
Matrix Metalloproteinases;
Monocrotaline;
Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II;
Nitric Oxide Synthase Type III;
Pulmonary Artery;
Rats;
Rats, Sprague-Dawley;
Receptors, Endothelin;
Simvastatin;
Ventricular Pressure
- From:Korean Circulation Journal
2011;41(9):518-527
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:English
-
Abstract:
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Simvastatin's properties are suggestive of a potential pathophysiologic role in pulmonary hypertension. The objectives of this study were to investigate changes of pulmonary pathology and gene expressions, including endothelin (ET)-1, endothelin receptor A (ERA), inducible nitric oxide synthase (NOS2), endothelial nitric oxide synthase (NOS3), matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) 2, tissue inhibitor of matrix metalloproteinases (TIMP) and caspase 3, and to evaluate the effect of simvastatin on monocrotaline (M)-induced pulmonary hypertension. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Six week old male Sprague-Dawley rats were treated, as follows: control group, subcutaneous (sc) injection of saline; M group, sc injection of M (60 mg/kg); and simvastatin group, sc injection of M (60 mg/kg) plus 10 mg/kg/day simvastatin orally. RESULTS: On day 28, right ventricular hypertrophy (RVH) significantly decreased in the simvastatin group compared to the M group. Similarly, right ventricular pressure significantly decreased in the simvastatin group on day 28. From day 7, the ratio of medial thickening of the pulmonary artery was significantly increased in the M group, but there was no significant change in the simvastatin group. The number of muscular pulmonary arterioles was significantly reduced in the simvastatin group. On day 5, gene expressions of ET-1, ERA, NOS2, NOS3, MMP and TIMP significantly decreased in the simvastatin group. CONCLUSION: Administration of simvastatin exerted weak inhibitory effects on RVH and on the number of muscular pulmonary arterioles, during the development of M-induced pulmonary hypertension in rats. Simvastatin decreased gene expressions on day 5.
