Effects of atovastatin calcium on vascular endothelial cells in hypertensive rats / 中国病理生理杂志

ABSTRACT

AIM: To investigate the effects of atorvastatin calcium on vascular endothelial cells and circulating endothelial progenitor cells (CEPCs) in hypertensive rats. METHODS: Renal hypertension rat model was constructed with two-kidney-one-clip technique. Twenty-four male SD rats were randomized into hypertension group, statins group and sham-operated group (n=8 each). On the 4th week, the animals in statins group were injected with 20 mg·kg~(-1)·d~(-1) atorvastatin calcium intra-abdominally for 8 weeks. Blood pressure and blood lipid were measured at 4th and 12th week post-operation. On the 12th week, scanning electron microscopy was used to observe the damage of aortic endothelial cells. The circulatory endothelial cell count, CEPCs count, CEPCs proliferation ability, CEPCs adhesion ability and CEPCs apoptosis were also measured. RESULTS: The injury of endothelial cells in statins group was observed, milder than that in hypertension group, but worsen than that in sham-operated group. The numbers of circulatory endothelial cells in hypertension group, statin treatment group and sham-operated group were 5.9×10~6, 3.9×10~6 and 2.0×10~6 respectively, and the CEPCs apoptosis rate was 22.1%±2.1%, 13.4%±1.6 %and 7.4%±1.3%, respectively. Meanwhile, the numbers of CEPCs were 21.63±2.33, 40.38±6.00 and 65.38±2.97, respectively, the proliferative abilities of CEPCs were 0.13±0.01, 0.17±0.01 and 0.29±0.03, respectively, and the adhesion of CEPCs was 12.25±2.49, 21.50±2.20 and 28.88±2.85, respectively. CONCLUSION: (1) The severity of vascular endothelial cell injury is related to hypertension states. (2) Atorvastatin calcium has direct protective effects on endothelial cells, possibly through increasing CEPCs count, reducing CEPCs apoptosis and markedly enhancing reparation ability of CEPCs to endothelial cells.