Rosuvastatin attenuates hypertension-induced cardiovascular remodeling without affecting blood pressure in DOCA-salt hypertensive rats

Abstract

The pleiotropic effects of statins represent potential mechanisms for the treatment of end-organ damage in hypertension. This study has investigated the effects of rosuvastatin in a model of cardiovascular remodelling, the DOCA-salt hypertensive rat. Male Wistar rats weighing 300-330g were uninephrectomized (UNX) or uninephrectomized and treated with DOCA (25 mg subcutaneously every fourth day) and 1% NaCl in the drinking water. Compared with UNX controls, DOCA-salt rats developed hypertension, cardiovascular hypertrophy, inflammation with perivascular and interstitial cardiac fibrosis, endothelial dysfunction and prolongation of ventricular action potential duration at 28 days. Rosuvastatin treated rats received 20mg/kg/day of the drug in 10% Tween 20 by oral gavage for 32 days commencing 4 days before uninephrectomy. UNX and DOCA-salt controls received vehicle only. Rosuvastatin therapy attenuated the development of cardiovascular hypertrophy, inflammation, fibrosis and ventricular action potential prolongation, but did not modify hypertension or vascular dysfunction. We conclude that the pleiotropic effects of rosuvastatin include attenuation of aspects of cardiovascular remodelling in the DOCA-salt model of hypertension in rats without altering systolic blood pressure.