The protective effect of atorvastatin(Lipitor) against focal cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury in rats

Objective To determine whether Atorvastatin(Lipitor) has protective effect against focal cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury in rats.Methods A rat model of middle cerebral artery ischemia/reperfusion injury was established accarding to the method reported by Longa sixty male SD rats were randomly divided into three groups:sham group(SH group),cerebral ischemia/reperfusion group(ISC group) and Lipitor preconditioning group(LipPC group),which received Liptor(6 mg/(kg·d))treatment before ischemia/reperfusion.Each group was sub-divide into two sub-groups at 6 h and 24 h after reperfusion.Each subgroup consisted of 10 rats.At 6 h and 24 h after reperfusion,the animals were observed for neurological deficits and the volume of cerebral infarction was estimated,The level of NSE in serum and the contents of tumor necrosis factor-alpha(TNF-α) and interleukin-1 beta(IL-1β) in brain tissue were measured.Results Compared with ISC group,the behavior score and infarct volume in LipPC group were significantly reduced remaikably(P0.05);the level of NSE in serum and the contents of TNF-α and IL-1β in LipPC group were significantly decreased(P0.05 or P0.01).No differences were found in these parameters between LipPC group and SH group(P0.05).Conclusion Pretreatment of Lipitor before ischemia can inhibit inflammation in duced by ischemia/reperfusion injury and is protective against local cerebral ischemia/repefusion injury.