Simvastatin therapy on CT-1 after AMI and its relativity with ventricular remolding

Aim To study the effect of simvastatin on cardiotrophin-1(CT-1)expression after rats AMI in non-infarction zone in left ventricular(LVNIZ)and the left ventricular remodeling(LVRM)progression.Methods Male SD rats were divided into four groups(n=8):AMI group,AMI +Simvastatin group,Sham-operated group and normal group.Myocardial infarction model of the first two groups was established by ligation of left anterior descending coronary artery.AMI+Simvastatin group was gavaged with simvastatin 40 mg·kg-1·d-1.Rats except Simvastatin treatment group were gavaged with part.aeq.0.9% NaCl.After 4 weeks,the ratio of LV weight to body weight(LVWI),the cross-sectional area of cardiomyocytes and the collagen volume fraction(CVF)were examined.The CT-1 mRNA expression in LVNIZ was determined by RT-PCR.The CT-1 protein production in LVNIZ was determined by Western blot.Results Compared with sham-operated rats and normal rats,left ventricular weight index(LVWI),cardiomyocyte cross-sectional area(CA)and CVF in LVNIZ were increased(P0.05)in AMI group,the expression of CT-1 mRNA and production of CT-1 protein in LVNIZ increased obviously after AMI 4 weeks(P0.05).CT-1 mRNA expression and protein production were all decreased in AMI+Simvastatin group with lightened LVRM comparing with AMI group(P0.05).Conclusions There is significant correlation between overexpression of CT-1 mRNA and protein and LVRM after AMI.The mechanisms of simvastatin in preventing LVRM may be partly through depressing CT-1 mRNA expression and protein production.