Post-ischemic administration of pravastatin reduces neuronal injury by inhibiting Bax protein expression after transient forebrain ischemia in rats.

This study investigated the neuroprotective effect of pravastatin administration after forebrain ischemia in rats. Forebrain ischemia was induced by bilateral common carotid artery occlusion and systemic hypotension for 8min. Pravastatin at 1mg/kg (pravastatin group, n=10), or an identical volume of normal saline (control group, n=10), was injected 10min, and 1-4 days after reperfusion. Arterial blood gas was analyzed 10min before ischemia onset and 10min after ischemia completion. Viable and apoptotic neuronal cells were evaluated 7 days after ischemia by hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase (TdT)-mediated deoxyuracil triphosphate biotin in situ nick-end labeling (TUNEL) staining of the hippocampal Cornu Ammonis area (CA1). Expression of Bcl-2 and Bax proteins was quantified by Western blot analysis. The proportion of viable neuronal cells after ischemia was greater in the pravastatin vs. control group (p<0.01), with greater expression of apoptotic cells in the control vs. pravastatin group (p<0.05). Bax protein expression was significantly decreased in the pravastatin group (p<0.05), whereas, Bcl-2 expression was increased, but not significantly (p>0.05). Our findings suggest that pravastatin administration after forebrain ischemia confers neuroprotection in rats by inhibiting Bax protein expression.