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This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) All Versions of this Article: 293/3/L630    most recent 00110.2006v1 Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in Web of Science Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Web of Science (6) Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Laudi, S. Articles by Steudel, W. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Laudi, S. Articles by Steudel, W.

Serotonin transporter protein in pulmonary hypertensive rats treated with atorvastatin

¹Department of Anesthesiology, Clinical Research and Development, ²Center for Genetic Lung Disease, and ³Cardiovascular Research Laboratories, University of Colorado at Denver and Health Sciences Center, Denver, Colorado; ⁴Department of Anesthesiology, Vrije University Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands; ⁵Department of Anesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine, University of Leipzig Medical Faculty, Leipzig, Germany; and ⁶Department of Anesthesia and Critical Care, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts

Submitted 23 March 2006 ; accepted in final form 5 June 2007

HMG-CoA-reductase inhibitors (statins) influence lipid metabolism and have pleiotropic effects. Several statins reduce various forms of pulmonary hypertension (PH) in animal models. The relationship between atorvastatin and expression of serotonin transporter protein (5-HTT) remains unknown. This study focused on the effects of atorvastatin on the course of monocrotaline (MCT)-induced PH and its relation to 5-HTT expression. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were challenged with MCT with or without subsequent daily oral treatment with 0.1, 1, and 10 mg/kg of atorvastatin for 28 days. Over the 4-wk course, the progression of PH was followed by transthoracic echocardiography [pulmonary artery pressure was assessed by pulmonary artery flow acceleration time (PAAT), an estimate reciprocal to pulmonary artery pressure], and, at the end of the 4-wk course, invasive right ventricular pressure, right ventricular weight, quantitative morphology, and 5-HTT expression were measured. MCT caused significant PH as early as 7 days after injection. Atorvastatin treatment increased PAAT and reduced right ventricular pressure, right ventricular hypertrophy, and vascular remodeling over the 4-wk course. MCT challenge was associated with increased pulmonary vascular 5-HTT expression, and atorvastatin treatment reduced the 5-HTT expression. MCT-induced PH over the course of 4 wk can be easily followed by transthoracic echocardiography, and atorvastatin is effective in reducing the PH. Atorvastatin's effects are associated with a decrease of 5-HTT expression.

monocrotaline; HMG-CoA-reductase inhibitor, 5-HTT, 5-HT

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