DeMarco VG, Habibi J, Whaley-Connell AT et al.
University of Missouri School of Medicine,
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Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol 2009;297:H1128–39.
Editor’s note: 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme A reductase inhibitors (statins) were originally developed for their ability to reduce levels of cholesterol by inhibiting synthesis in the liver. However, they have also been shown to have beneficial effects on the vascular wall that are independent of their effects on cholesterol synthesis, including reducing inflammation in the vascular wall and reducing the thrombogenic activity of platelets. Recent evidence has indicated that statins may also be beneficial for treating pulmonary hypertension (
Circulation 2003;108:1640–5). To investigate this, the current authors treated (mRen2)27 rats, which are a rodent model of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), with rosuvastatin, analyzing the differences in oxidative stress and changes in the vasculature.