Fluvastatin alters psychomotor performance and daily activity but not the spatial memory in rats

Statins, inhibitors of cholesterol synthesis for treating dyslipidemia and preventing cardiovascular complications, have been shown to alter central nervous system functions. Our aim was to investigate the effects of the fluvastatin, a member of statin family, on psychomotor performance, daily activity and spatial memory. Sprague-Dawley rats were treated with fluvastatin (n = 8) or placebo as a control (n = 11) regardless of sex. Fluvastatin (7.5 mg/kg) was administered orally once a day for four weeks, while the control group was administered only placebo. Psychomotor performance was measured by rotarod tests. No significant difference was observed in the fluvastatin group over the course of weeks, but the control group preferred to stay on the device shorter times (p < 0.05). For the first three weeks of the drug administration there was a statistical difference between the groups, however no difference was found after the 4th week. There was no difference in the Barnes maze spatial memory test between the groups and also within the groups over the course of time. Daily activity tests revealed that stereotypical and vertical movements of the fluvastatin group were significantly less than the control group in all four weeks. Ambulatory movements and the distances taken by the fluvastatin group were decreased significantly over the course of time (p < 0.005 and p < 0.001, respectively), but the control group did not reveal any significant change. Our results suggest that fluvastatin altered psychomotor performance and daily activity in rats, but it did not affect the spatial memory. These behavioral changes might be associated with alterations in the composition of the brain lipids caused by fluvastatin.