Atorvastatin suppresses Toll-like receptor 4 expression and NF-kappa B activation in rabbit atherosclerotic plaques

作者：Fang, D.; Yang, S.; Quan, W.; Jia, H.; Quan, Z.; Qu, Z.

来源：European Review for Medical and Pharmacological Sciences, 2014, 18(2): 242-246.

• Atorvastatin
• Toll-like receptor 4
• NF-kappa B
• Atherosclerosis plaque

BACKGROUND: Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) plays an essential role in the pathogenesis and progression of atherosclerosis, which overexpresses in atherosclerotic lesions and mediates the production of inflammatory factors. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of atorvastatin on TLR4 protein and mRNA expression and its downstream factor NF-kappa B activation in rabbit atherosclerotic plaques.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: Rabbits continuously fed with high-fat diet for 24 weeks were randomly divided into two groups, the drugtreated group orally administrated with atorvastatin (2 mg/kg/day) three weeks after high-fat diet feeding and the model group with no treatment. The expression of TLR4 protein and mRNA, the level of activated NF-kappa B (p65) were respectively detected by western blotting, quantitative RTPCR, and ELISA.
RESULTS: The results showed that atorvastatin treatment reduced the expression of TLR4 protein and mRNA by 24.1% (p < 0.05) and 46.9% (p < 0.01), respectively, and also inhibited NF-kappa B activation by 76.0% (p < 0.001) in the atherosclerotic plaques.
CONCLUSIONS: Thus, it was suggested that atorvastatin could exert an anti-atherosclerotic activity besides inhibiting cholesterol biosynthesis.

• 出版日期2014-1
• 单位上海市第八人民医院; 吉林大学; 中国医科大学