Research Article

Protection effect of atorvastatin in cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury rats by blocking the mitochondrial permeability transition pore

Published: December 18, 2014
Genet. Mol. Res. 13 (4) : 10632-10642 DOI: https://doi.org/10.4238/2014.December.18.5
Cite this Article:
T. Song, J. Liu, X. Tao, J.G. Deng (2014). Protection effect of atorvastatin in cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury rats by blocking the mitochondrial permeability transition pore. Genet. Mol. Res. 13(4): 10632-10642. https://doi.org/10.4238/2014.December.18.5
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Abstract

The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of atorvastatin on the opening of the mitochondrial permeability transition pore (MPTP) and the expression of cytochrome C (Cyt C) in Sprague-Dawley rats with cerebral ischemia-reperfusion (I/R). The rat model of cerebral artery ischemia was established by the suture-occluded method with ischemia for 2 h and reperfusion for 72 h. Thirty-four male rats were randomly divided into four groups: the normal group and the sham-operation group without any treatment, the I/R group with only intragastric administration of normal saline, and the intervention group, which received intragastric administration of 10 mg/kg atorvastatin at different times. All rats were sacrificed at 72 h. Compared with the I/R group, the morphology of nerve cells in the intervention group was reduced, the number of TUNEL-positive cells decreased, the expression of cortical cytoplasm Cyt C decreased, and the mitochondrial absorbance value increased. All of these differences were statistically significant. Atorvastatin could inhibit neuronal apoptosis and alleviate the cerebral I/R injury. The mechanism may be related to the blocking of the MPTP opening and the subsequent reduction of Cyt C release.

The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of atorvastatin on the opening of the mitochondrial permeability transition pore (MPTP) and the expression of cytochrome C (Cyt C) in Sprague-Dawley rats with cerebral ischemia-reperfusion (I/R). The rat model of cerebral artery ischemia was established by the suture-occluded method with ischemia for 2 h and reperfusion for 72 h. Thirty-four male rats were randomly divided into four groups: the normal group and the sham-operation group without any treatment, the I/R group with only intragastric administration of normal saline, and the intervention group, which received intragastric administration of 10 mg/kg atorvastatin at different times. All rats were sacrificed at 72 h. Compared with the I/R group, the morphology of nerve cells in the intervention group was reduced, the number of TUNEL-positive cells decreased, the expression of cortical cytoplasm Cyt C decreased, and the mitochondrial absorbance value increased. All of these differences were statistically significant. Atorvastatin could inhibit neuronal apoptosis and alleviate the cerebral I/R injury. The mechanism may be related to the blocking of the MPTP opening and the subsequent reduction of Cyt C release.

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