Rosuvastatin attenuates atherosclerosis in rats via activation of scavenger receptor class B type I

In order to investigate the effect and mechanism of action of rosuvastatin on atherosclerotic lesion in a Wistar rat model, 16 Wistar rats were fed a cholesterol-rich, vitamin D3 overload diet and underwent balloon injury of the aorta. One day prior to injury, half of the rats began rosuvastatin treatment (5mg/kg/d) via oral gavage. Eight control rats received a basal diet and sham operation. After 14 weeks of treatment, the animals were sacrificed. Blood was collected to measure lipid and angiotensin II (Ang II) levels and morphologic analysis was performed on the aorta. Scavenger receptor-class B type I (SR-BI), Ang II type-1 (AT1) receptor and phosphorylated extracellular signal regulated kinase 1/2 (p-ERK1/2) protein and mRNA levels were measured via Western blot and real time reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction, respectively. Spearman's rank correlation was utilized to examine the relationships between SR-BI and Ang II or AT1 receptor expression. The atherosclerosis model group demonstrated an increase in plasma lipid levels and aortic plaque formation. After 14 weeks of treatment with rosuvastatin, there was a significant decrease in plasma lipid and Ang II levels accompanied by an improvement in aortic lesions. Rosuvastatin increased the expression of SR-BI but significantly inhibited the expression of AT1 receptor and p-ERK1/2. SR-BI protein expression was inversely correlated with both the level of Ang II and expression of the AT1 receptor. In conclusion, rosuvastatin attenuates atherosclerosis in the Wistar rat model, and its anti-atherosclerotic activity may be through upregulation of SR-BI expression and inhibition of p-ERK1/2 levels and AT1 receptor expression.