Short-term pretreatment with atorvastatin attenuates left ventricular dysfunction, reduces infarct size and apoptosis in acute myocardial infarction rats.

Background: Atorvastatin showed a number of cardiovascular benefits, however, the role and underlying molecular mechanisms of short-term atorvastatin-mediated protection remain unclear.

Methods: 30 rats were randomly divided into 3 groups: sham group, acute myocardial infarction model group and atorvastatin group. The rats of acute myocardial infarction model were established by ligation of the left anterior descending of coronary arteries. Before surgery, rats in the atorvastatin group received 20 mg/kg/d atorvastatin for 7 days in atorvastatin group. After 4 hours of model established, changes in hemodynamics parameters were recorded and myocardial infarct size was achieved by Evans blue-TTC staining. Myocardium apoptosis was evaluated by TUNEL. The expression of FAS, FAS-L, Bcl-2, Bax, p-BAD, Caspase-8 and Caspase-3 in myocardium were examined by Western blot.

Results: In the atorvastatin group, left ventricular function was elevated and infarct size was decreased compared with the model group. Moreover, in the atorvastatin group, the cell apoptosis index was reduced in response to myocardial infarction. The expressions of Bcl-2 were increased and Bax, p-BAD, Fas, Fas-L, caspase-8 and caspase-3 in myocardium were decreased in atorvastatin group.

Conclusions: Short-term atorvastatin pretreatment restored left ventricular function and limited infarct size in acute myocardial infarction, which were associated with reduction of the apoptosis in myocardium through Bcl-2 and Fas pathway.