Effect Of Simvastation On The Aorta Of Spontaneously Hypertensive Rats

Objective The expression of Nuclear Factor-κB ( NF-κB) and monocyte chemotactic protein-1 (MCP-1 ) in the aortic tissue of spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) and the effects of statins on this expression were studied.Methods Twelve-week-old male spontaneously hypertensive rats (n = 20)were randomly assigned to the positive control group(n=10) and simvastatin treated group(n=10). In addition 10 twelve-week-old male Wistar Kyoto rats were used as negative controls. Rats in the treated group were given a daily dose of 5mg/kg simvastatin for 8 weeks by gavage and the rats from other two groups were fed with a nomal diet. NF-κB and MCP-1 was examined by immunohistochemistry and the serum MCP-1 concentrations were assayed by ELISA.Results NF-κB and MCP-1 were significantly increased in the aorta of rats from the positive control group comparing with that from the negative control group (P<0.01) .Furthermore , the upregulation of MCP-1 expression was positively correlated with NF- k B activation in SHR (r=0. 726, P<0.01). After 8 weeks treatment with simvastatin, the enhanced NF-κB and MCP-1 expression in the aorta and serum MCP-1 concentrations in simvastatin treated rats were markly attenuated comparing with that in the positive control rats (P<0.05) . The blood pressure and serum lipid measurements have no different between the positive control and simvastatin treated groups.Conclusion Hypertension induces the upregulation of NF- k B and MCP-1 in the aortic tissue and an increase serum MCP-1 concentrations in rats. Treatment with simvastatin, a HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors, markly decreases the enhanced NF-κB and MCP-1 expression in rats from the positive control group. This may reflect a new mechanism of statins on the anti - atherosclerosis besides lowering lipid level and contributeto the early prevention and cure of the vascular complication of hypertension.