Significance of simvastatin pretreatment on NF-κB expression in cardiac myocytes of rats with sepsis

Objective To investigate the expression of NF-κB in cardiac myocytes of rats with sepsis and to explore the effects of simvastatin pretreatment on expression of NF-κB and its significance.Methods Sixty female Wistar rats were randomly divided into three groups:control group,sepsis group and simvastatin group,with 20 rats in each group.The animal models with sepsis were established by cecal ligation and puncture( CLP).The rats in simvastatin group were treated with simvastatin,20mg/kg,once a day for two weeks before CLP.After two weeks the rats in simvastatin group and sepsis group received CLP.The cardiac tissues of the three groups were collected 48h after CLP,and all the specimens were made into paraffin sections,then the expression levels of NF-κB were detected by immunohistochemistry staining.Results Immunohistochemistry staining showed that the expression levels of NF-κB in sepsis group were significantly higher than those in control group 48h after CLP( P 0.05).The expression levels of NF-κB in simvastatin group were significantly lower than those in sepsis group( P 0.05),furthermore,there were significant differences between control group and simvastatin group( P 0.05).Conclusion Simvastatin can decrease the expression of NF-κB in cardiac myocytes of rats with sepsis,as a result,which can improve heart function.