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Published on: May 17, 2024
Tissue-specific effects of atorvastatin on 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutarylcoenzyme A reductase expression and activity in
Guo-ping Chen1, Lei Yao, Xian Lu
1Institute of Cardiology, The First Affiliated Hospital, College of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310003, China.
Aim:
Cardiovascular remodeling is closely associated with cholesterol and is attenuated by statins. The spontaneously hypertensive rat (SHR) has a low serum cholesterol level and evident cardiovascular remodeling. The aims of the present study were to characterize the effects of atorvastatin on tissue cholesterol content and 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme A (HMG-CoA) reductase expression and activity in four tissues from SHR: liver, heart, aorta and kidney.
Methods:
SHR and normotensive Wistar-Kyoto rats (WKY) were treated daily with atorvastatin (50 mg/kg) for 8 weeks. Cholesterol levels of serum and tissues (liver, heart, aorta and kidney) were determined by commercial enzymatic methods. Western blot analysis and high performance liquid chromatogram (HPLC) were used to assay the expression and activity of enzyme respectively.
Results:
Treatment with atorvastatin decreased cholesterol content and HMGCoA reductase expression and activity in all four tissues of SHR. However, in WKY, atorvastatin only altered HMG-CoA reductase in liver, where the protein expression was upregulated but the enzyme activity was decreased.
Conclusion:
The present study demonstrates that the effects of atorvastatin on tissue cholesterol content and HMG-CoA reductase are strain- and tissue-specific.
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