Effects of atorvastatin on vascular remodeling in spontaneously hypertensive rats

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the structural changes of aorta, and evaluate the effects of atorvastatin on the remodeling of thoracic aorta in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR). METHODS: Twelve eight-week-old SHR were randomized into atorvastatin treated group (ATV group, n=6) and distilled water group (DW group, n=6); Wistar-Kyoto rats (WKY) were used as normal controls. Atorvastatin was administered to ATV group for 10 weeks by gavage in mixture with distilled water (1 ml); the latter two groups were given the same amount of distilled water by gavage for 10 weeks. Systolic blood pressure of caudal artery was examined before and after treatment, and serum concentrations of total cholesterol, triglycerides and HDL-C were measured. Wall thickness, media thickness, medial cross-sectional area and lumen diameter of thoracic aorta were assessed with computed video processing. RESULTS: Systolic blood pressure in ATV group was markedly lower than that in DW group (P<0.01). Compared with DW group and WKY group, serum concentrations of total cholesterol, triglycerides and HDL-C in ATV group were significantly lower (P<0.01,P<0.05). Wall thickness, media thickness, and medial cross-sectional area to lumen ratio in DW group were significantly higher than those in WKY group and ATV group (P<0.01,P<0.05), but no such difference was found between WKY group and ATV group (P>0.05). CONCLUSION: Vascular structural changes of aorta are due to the alteration of the vessel wall in early stage of SHR. Atorvastatin can markedly improve vascular remodeling.