Low doses of Simvastatin therapy ameliorate cardiac inflammatory remodeling in Trypanosoma cruzi-Infected dogs.

Melo, Lilian; Caldas, Ivo Santana; Azevedo, Maíra Araújo; Gonçalves, Karolina Ribeiro; Nascimento, Alvaro Fernando da Silva do; Figueiredo, Vivian Paulino; Diniz, Lívia de Figueiredo; Lima, Wanderson Geraldo de; Torres, Rosália Morais; Bahia, Maria Terezinha; Silva, André Talvani Pedrosa da

Low doses of Simvastatin therapy ameliorate cardiac inflammatory remodeling in Trypanosoma cruzi-Infected dogs.

Date

2011

Authors

Melo, Lilian

Caldas, Ivo Santana

Azevedo, Maíra Araújo

Gonçalves, Karolina Ribeiro

Nascimento, Alvaro Fernando da Silva do

Figueiredo, Vivian Paulino

Diniz, Lívia de Figueiredo

Lima, Wanderson Geraldo de

Torres, Rosália Morais

Bahia, Maria Terezinha

Abstract

Chagas cardiomyopathy remodeling is based on the presence of Trypanosoma cruzi in heart tissue and on the complex inflammatory response leading to a myocardium fibrosis and alterations in conductive and functional heart parameters. This study aims to evaluate Simvastatin on the inflammatory response and heart functionality using dogs infected with Y strain of T. cruzi . Animals were treated daily with Simvastatin (20 mg) for 6 months and submitted to clinical and immunopathological evaluations. Simvastatin reduced heart expression and serum levels of interferon-γ (IFN-γ) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) but not interleukin-10 (IL-10), possibly favoring blood parasitism but reducing inflammation and fibrosis in the left ventricle and right atrium. Simvastatin also ameliorated ejection fraction, diastolic diameter, and mass index of the left ventricle 6 months after infection. This study suggests that more investigation should be performed on the use of statins as a prophylactic therapy against cardiac remodeling because of their effects on modifying immune response and benefiting functional parameters in dogs with T. cruzi -induced ventricular dysfunctions.

Citation

MELO, L. et al. Low doses of Simvastatin therapy ameliorate cardiac inflammatory remodeling in Trypanosoma cruzi-Infected dogs. The American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, v. 84, p. 325-331, 2011. Disponível em: <http://www.ajtmh.org/content/84/2/325>. Acesso em: 19 fev. 2017.