Simvastatin attenuates stroke-induced splenic atrophy and lung susceptibility to spontaneous bacterial infection in mice.

ABSTRACT:

Background and purpose

Statins are widely used in the primary and secondary prevention of ischemic stroke, but their effects on stroke-induced immunodepression and poststroke infections are elusive. We investigated the effects of simvastatin treatment on stroke-induced splenic atrophy and lung susceptibility to bacterial infection in acute experimental stroke in mice.

Methods

Ischemic stroke was induced by transient middle cerebral artery occlusion, followed by reperfusion. In some experiments, splenectomies were performed 2 weeks before middle cerebral artery occlusion. Animals were randomly assigned to sham and middle cerebral artery occlusion groups treated subcutaneously with vehicle or simvastatin (20 mg/kg per day). Brain infarction, neurological function, brain interf

SUBMITTER: Jin R 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3609888 | biostudies-literature | 2013 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature