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Updated: May 9, 2026
08:11
Ultrasound Tissue Characterization of Human Achilles Tendon by Stability Quantification of Echo Patterns
Published on: September 5, 2025
Statins induce biochemical changes in the Achilles tendon after chronic treatment
Letícia Prado de Oliveira1, Cristiano Pedrozo Vieira, Flávia Da Ré Guerra
1Department of Functional and Structural Biology, Institute of Biology, University of Campinas - UNICAMP, Campinas, SP, Brazil. lelekapr@hotmail.com
Toxicology
|July 9, 2013
Summary
Statins, commonly prescribed for lowering cholesterol, may cause Achilles tendon damage by altering extracellular matrix components and increasing enzymes like MMP-2 and MMP-9. These biochemical changes suggest statins can induce microdamage in tendons, with effects varying by dosage and type.
Area of Science:
- Biochemistry
- Pharmacology
- Tendon Biology
Background:
- Statins are widely used lipid-lowering medications.
- Tendon rupture is a known adverse effect associated with statin use.
- The biochemical mechanisms underlying statin-induced tendon alterations remain unclear.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the biochemical changes in rat Achilles tendons following chronic simvastatin and atorvastatin treatment.
- To evaluate the impact of different statin dosages on tendon extracellular matrix composition and degradation markers.
Main Methods:
- Rats received simvastatin or atorvastatin at dosages scaled from human recommendations (20mg/day and 80mg/day).
- Plasma low-density lipoprotein (LDL) levels were measured.
- Tendon levels of non-collagenous proteins, glycosaminoglycans (GAGs), and hydroxyproline were quantified.
- Collagen I content was assessed via Western blotting, and matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs)-2 and -9 activity was analyzed using zymography.
Main Results:
- Statin treatment altered non-collagenous protein levels, collagen I content, and GAGs, with dose-dependent effects.
- Significant increases in pro-MMP-2, active MMP-2, and latent MMP-9 activity were observed in various statin-treated groups compared to controls.
- Elevated hydroxyproline levels were noted in the S-20 group, indicating potential collagen degradation or altered synthesis.
Conclusions:
- Chronic statin administration induces biochemical alterations in the Achilles tendon, affecting extracellular matrix components.
- The observed increases in MMP-2 and MMP-9 activity suggest that statins promote tendon degradation and remodeling processes.
- These findings indicate that statins can disrupt the extracellular matrix balance in tendons, potentially leading to microdamage.
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