Atorvastatin attenuates cardiomyocyte loss in adult rats from protein-restricted dams.

BACKGROUND

Statins are cholesterol-lowering drugs that have been proved to prevent cardiac events. Their direct effects on cardiac remodeling, when administered in programmed protein restricted animals, still are unknown.

METHODS AND

RESULTS

Wistar male 6-month-old offspring from dams fed normal protein (NP, 19% of protein) or low-protein (LP, 5% of protein) during pregnancy and first 10 days after birth were studied. After weaning, male pups were allocated to untreated or treated groups with atorvastatin (low and high doses, 5 or 30 mg.kg.day) in two different periods (from 21 days old to 3 months old and from 3 to 6 months old). The blood pressure (BP) was 30% greater in untreated LP offspring than in treated offspring (from 165 +/- 6 mm Hg to 127 +/- 3 mm Hg, P < .01). After 1 month of treatment, only untreated LP offspring continued with high BP. Compared with untreated LP offspring, atorvastatin reduced blood glucose (less 30%, P < .05) and cardiomyocyte size (less 24%, P < .05), whereas untreated LP offspring had greater interstitial fibrosis (plus 74%, P < .01), reduction of myocardial vascularization (less 25%, P < .01) and major reduction of cardiomyocyte number (less 38%, P < .01) than treated LP offspring.

CONCLUSION

Atorvastatin from 3 to 6 months olds in both low and high doses (but not from 0 to 3 months) has beneficial effects improving myocardial vascularization by diminishing fibrosis and cardiomyocyte loss.