|
|
||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
1 Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
2 Department of Anesthesiology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
3 Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: rgirgis{at}jhmi.edu.
The 3-hydoxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase inhibitors (statins) have been shown to improve multiple normal endothelial cell functions and inhibit vascular wall cell proliferation. We hypothesized that one such agent, simvastatin, would attenuate chronic hypoxic pulmonary hypertension. Male adult Sprague-Dawley rats were exposed (14 d) to normoxia (N), normoxia plus once daily simvastatin (20 mg/kg IP) (NS), hypoxia (10% FiO2) (H) or hypoxia plus simvastatin (HS). Mean pulmonary artery pressure, measured in anesthetized, ventilated rats with an open-chest method, was reduced from 25 ± 2 mmHg in H to 18 ± 1 in HS (P< 0.001), but did not reach normoxic values (12 ± 1 mmHg). Similarly, right ventricular/left ventricular plus interventricular septal weight was reduced from 0.53 ± 0.02 in group H to 0.36 ± 0.02 in HS (P < 0.001). The increased hematocrit in H (0.65 ± 0.02) was prevented by simvastatin treatment (0.51 ± 0.01, P < 0.001). Hematocrit was similar in N vs. NS. Alveolar vessel muscularization and medial thickening of vessels 50-200 µM in diameter induced by hypoxia were also significantly attenuated in HS animals. Lung endothelial nitric oxide protein (eNOS) expression in the HS group was less than H (P < 0.01), but was similar in N vs. NS. We conclude that simvastatin treatment potently attenuates chronic hypoxic pulmonary hypertension and polycythemia in rats and inhibits vascular remodeling. Enhancement of lung eNOS expression does not appear to be involved in mediating this effect.
This article has been cited by other articles:
![]() |
K. Satoh, Y. Fukumoto, M. Nakano, K. Sugimura, J. Nawata, J. Demachi, A. Karibe, Y. Kagaya, N. Ishii, K. Sugamura, et al. Statin ameliorates hypoxia-induced pulmonary hypertension associated with down-regulated stromal cell-derived factor-1 Cardiovasc Res, October 3, 2008; (2008) cvn244v2. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
K. Boutet, D. Montani, X. Jais, A. Yaici, O. Sitbon, G. Simonneau, and M. Humbert Review: Therapeutic advances in pulmonary arterial hypertension Therapeutic Advances in Respiratory Disease, August 1, 2008; 2(4): 249 - 265. [Abstract] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
N. Homma, T. Nagaoka, V. Karoor, M. Imamura, L. Taraseviciene-Stewart, L. A. Walker, K. A. Fagan, I. F. McMurtry, and M. Oka Involvement of RhoA/Rho kinase signaling in protection against monocrotaline-induced pulmonary hypertension in pneumonectomized rats by dehydroepiandrosterone Am J Physiol Lung Cell Mol Physiol, July 1, 2008; 295(1): L71 - L78. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
L. Moreno-Vinasco, M. Gomberg-Maitland, M. L. Maitland, A. A. Desai, P. A. Singleton, S. Sammani, L. Sam, Y. Liu, A. N. Husain, R. M. Lang, et al. Genomic assessment of a multikinase inhibitor, sorafenib, in a rodent model of pulmonary hypertension Physiol Genomics, April 21, 2008; 33(2): 278 - 291. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
N. Kapoor, P. Varadarajan, and R. G. Pai Echocardiographic predictors of pulmonary hypertension in patients with severe aortic stenosis Eur J Echocardiogr, January 1, 2008; 9(1): 31 - 33. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
J. I. Keddissi, W. G. Younis, E. A. Chbeir, N. N. Daher, T. A. Dernaika, and G. T. Kinasewitz The Use of Statins and Lung Function in Current and Former Smokers Chest, December 1, 2007; 132(6): 1764 - 1771. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
C. M. Carlin, A. J. Peacock, and D. J. Welsh Fluvastatin Inhibits Hypoxic Proliferation and p38 MAPK Activity in Pulmonary Artery Fibroblasts Am. J. Respir. Cell Mol. Biol., October 1, 2007; 37(4): 447 - 456. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
M. P. Coggins and K. D. Bloch Nitric Oxide in the Pulmonary Vasculature Arterioscler. Thromb. Vasc. Biol., September 1, 2007; 27(9): 1877 - 1885. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
S. Laudi, S. Trump, V. Schmitz, J. West, I. F. McMurtry, H. Mutlak, U. Christians, J. Weimann, U. Kaisers, and W. Steudel Serotonin transporter protein in pulmonary hypertensive rats treated with atorvastatin Am J Physiol Lung Cell Mol Physiol, September 1, 2007; 293(3): L630 - L638. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
M. Li, Y. Liu, P. Dutt, B. L. Fanburg, and D. Toksoz Inhibition of serotonin-induced mitogenesis, migration, and ERK MAPK nuclear translocation in vascular smooth muscle cells by atorvastatin Am J Physiol Lung Cell Mol Physiol, August 1, 2007; 293(2): L463 - L471. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
R. E. Girgis, S. Mozammel, H. C. Champion, D. Li, X. Peng, L. Shimoda, R. M. Tuder, R. A. Johns, and P. M. Hassoun Regression of chronic hypoxic pulmonary hypertension by simvastatin Am J Physiol Lung Cell Mol Physiol, May 1, 2007; 292(5): L1105 - L1110. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
R. G. Pai, N. Kapoor, R. C. Bansal, and P. Varadarajan Malignant Natural History of Asymptomatic Severe Aortic Stenosis: Benefit of Aortic Valve Replacement Ann. Thorac. Surg., December 1, 2006; 82(6): 2116 - 2122. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
E Hothersall, C McSharry, and N C Thomson Potential therapeutic role for statins in respiratory disease. Thorax, August 1, 2006; 61(8): 729 - 734. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
G.B. J. Mancini, M. Etminan, B. Zhang, L. E. Levesque, J. M. FitzGerald, and J. M. Brophy Reduction of Morbidity and Mortality by Statins, Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors, and Angiotensin Receptor Blockers in Patients With Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease J. Am. Coll. Cardiol., June 20, 2006; 47(12): 2554 - 2560. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
T. Murata, K. Kinoshita, M. Hori, M. Kuwahara, H. Tsubone, H. Karaki, and H. Ozaki Statin Protects Endothelial Nitric Oxide Synthase Activity in Hypoxia-Induced Pulmonary Hypertension Arterioscler. Thromb. Vasc. Biol., November 1, 2005; 25(11): 2335 - 2342. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
J.-H. Lee, D.-S. Lee, E.-K. Kim, K.-H. Choe, Y.-M. Oh, T.-S. Shim, S.-E. Kim, Y.-S. Lee, and S.-D. Lee Simvastatin Inhibits Cigarette Smoking-induced Emphysema and Pulmonary Hypertension in Rat Lungs Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med., October 15, 2005; 172(8): 987 - 993. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
S. M. Kawut, E. M. Horn, K. K. Berekashvili, A. C. Widlitz, E. B. Rosenzweig, and R. J. Barst von Willebrand Factor Independently Predicts Long-term Survival in Patients With Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension Chest, October 1, 2005; 128(4): 2355 - 2362. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
J. P. Khoo, L. Zhao, N. J. Alp, J. K. Bendall, T. Nicoli, K. Rockett, M. R. Wilkins, and K. M. Channon Pivotal Role for Endothelial Tetrahydrobiopterin in Pulmonary Hypertension Circulation, April 26, 2005; 111(16): 2126 - 2133. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
J. H. Newman, B. L. Fanburg, S. L. Archer, D. B. Badesch, R. J. Barst, J. G.N. Garcia, P. N. Kao, J. A. Knowles, J. E. Loyd, M. D. McGoon, et al. Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension: Future Directions: Report of a National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute/Office of Rare Diseases Workshop Circulation, June 22, 2004; 109(24): 2947 - 2952. [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
J. R. Jacobson, S. M. Dudek, K. G. Birukov, S. Q. Ye, D. N. Grigoryev, R. E. Girgis, and J. G. N. Garcia Cytoskeletal Activation and Altered Gene Expression in Endothelial Barrier Regulation by Simvastatin Am. J. Respir. Cell Mol. Biol., May 1, 2004; 30(5): 662 - 670. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
D. Xiao and L. Zhang Calcium Homeostasis and Contraction of the Uterine Artery: Effect of Pregnancy and Chronic Hypoxia Biol Reprod, April 1, 2004; 70(4): 1171 - 1177. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
| HOME | HELP | FEEDBACK | SUBSCRIPTIONS | ARCHIVE | SEARCH |
| Visit Other APS Journals Online |