Effects of atorvastatin on the improvement of heart function in mice with viral myocarditis / 中华急诊医学杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To investigate the effects of atorvastatin on the improvement of cardiac function of mice with myocarditis.Methods A total of 146 Balb/c mice were divided into four groups randomly(random number).The viral myocarditis(VMC)model was made by Coxsakie virus B3(CVB)injected intra-abdominally.Four groups were normal group(n =18),VMC group(n =60),Control group (n=18)and VMCtreatment group(n =50).The mice of control group were treated with atorvastatin without VMC,and the mice of VMC treatment group were with VMC and were given atorvastatin for 2 weeks.Echocardiograms were used 3,7,10,14,21,and 30 days after virus inoculation.Blood samples were collected for cardiac troponin-Ⅰ detection at the same time.Myocardial inflammation was examined by using histochemistry staining.The changes of myocardial collagen fiber,myocardial cells and various organelles were examined by electron microscope.Results Compared with VMC group,the cumulative survival rate of VMC group treatment group was higher(87.0％ vs 59.2％)after treatment with atorvastatin for 30 days (P =0.008),and the improvement of pathological features after treatment with atorvastatin was found 10,14,21 and 30 days after the inoculation.Compared with control group,the cardiac function was decreased in the CVB infected mice 7 days after virus challenge[(69.82 ±5.12)vs(89.23 ±2.01),P ＜0.01]and compared with VMC group,the EF values of VMC treatment group were significantly higher 7,14,21and 30 days after virus inoculation.The differences in cTnI values between VMC group and CVB treatment group were statistically significant 7,10,14 and 21 days after virus challenge.Conclusions These results demonstrate that atorvastatin improves survival rates and the histological features in CVB3m-induced myocarditis.It can improve the heart function of CVB infected mice.Atorvastatin could be a treatment of choice for VMC.