[Effect of atorvastatin on ACE2 expression in pressure overload induced cardiac hypertrophy in rats].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of atorvastatin on the expression of angiotensin converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) mRNA and its protein in hypertrophic myocardium in rats. METHODS: Suprarenal abdominal aortic coarctation was performed to create the pressure overload induced left ventricular hypertrophy model in rats. RESULTS: Rats were randomly divided into 5 groups: (1) normal control group (Group A); (2) normal control group treated with atorvastatin [(5 mg/(kg.dd), Group B]; (3) sham group (Group C); (4) atorvastatin given orally by gastric gavage for 4 weeks [5 mg/(kg.dd),Group D]; (5) vehicle group (Group E). Stained pathological section was observed under light microscope to measure cardiomyocyte diameter transversa and collagen volume fraction. ACE2 mRNA and its protein expression were detected by real-time RT-PCR and Western blot. Compared with Group A,B, and C, the left ventricular mass index, cardiomyocyte diameter transversa and collagen volume fraction in Group E increased statistically (P< 0.01), ACE2 mRNA and its protein expression also elevated remarkably (P< 0.01). Compared with Group E, the above mentioned indexes in Group D reduced significantly (P< 0.01). CONCLUSION: ACE2 mRNA and its protein expression increase significantly in hypertrophic myocardium in rats; atorvastatin can attenuate cardiac hypertrophy due to pressure overload in rats effectively, and part of this anti-hypertrophy effect may be attributed to decrease ACE2 mRNA and protein expression.