Journal of Applied Physiology Fuel your research with LabChart
HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced]


     

J Appl Physiol 95: 700-704, 2003. First published April 25, 2003; doi:10.1152/japplphysiol.00265.2003
8750-7587/03 $5.00
This Article
Right arrow Full Text Free
Right arrow Full Text (PDF) Free
Right arrow All Versions of this Article:
95/2/700    most recent
00265.2003v1
Right arrow Submit a response
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me when eLetters are posted
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Right arrow Citation Map
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in ISI Web of Science
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via HighWire
Right arrow Citing Articles via ISI Web of Science (31)
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Pliquett, R. U.
Right arrow Articles by Zucker, I. H.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Pliquett, R. U.
Right arrow Articles by Zucker, I. H.

Statin therapy restores sympathovagal balance in experimental heart failure

Rainer U. Pliquett, Kurtis G. Cornish, and Irving H. Zucker

Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, Nebraska 68198-4575

Submitted 13 March 2003 ; accepted in final form 21 April 2003

Inhibitors of hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA reductase or statins have been shown to alleviate endothelial dysfunction. Their effects on constitutive nitric oxide synthase in the central nervous system may hypothetically affect the autonomic balance in sympathoexcitatory states, such as chronic heart failure (CHF). To address this issue, simvastatin (SIM) (0.3, 1.5, or 3 mg · kg-1 · day-1 po) was given to rabbits with pacing-induced CHF over a 3-wk period. Normal and CHF vehicle-treated rabbits served as controls. Autonomic balance was assessed by measuring heart rate variability, including power spectral analysis (PSA). In addition, changes in resting heart rate were assessed before and after vagal and sympathetic autonomic blockade by atropine and metoprolol, respectively. The SD for all intervals was 8.9 ± 0.7 ms in normal, 4.9 ± 0.6 ms in CHF (P < 0.01), 3.8 ± 0.6 ms in CHF with 0.3 mg · kg-1 · day-1 SIM (P < 0.001), 5.7 ± 0.9 in CHF with 1.5 mg · kg-1 · day-1 SIM (P < 0.05), and 7.2 ± 0.5 in CHF with 3.0 mg · kg-1 · day-1 SIM. Similarly, total power was 40.5 ± 6.3 ms2 in normal, 10.1 ± 3.0 ms2 in CHF (P < 0.01), 6.0 ± 1.6 ms2 in CHF with 0.3 mg · kg-1 · day-1 SIM (P < 0.01), 13.2 ± 3.9 ms2 in CHF with 1.5 mg · kg-1 · day-1 SIM (P < 0.05), and 22.0 ± 3.0 ms2 in CHF with 3.0 mg · kg-1 · day-1 SIM. Both PSA data for low (0.625–0.1875 Hz) and high frequencies (0.1875–0.5625 Hz) showed recovery in CHF animals on medium and high SIM doses without changes in the low-to-high-frequency ratio. SIM beneficially affects autonomic tone in CHF as seen by the reversal of depressed HRV and total power of PSA. These data have important implications for the treatment of patients with autonomic imbalance.

sympathetic nerve activity; cardiac dysfunction


Address for reprint requests and other correspondence: I. H. Zucker, Dept. of Physiology and Biophysics, 984575 Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198-4575 (E-mail: izucker{at}unmc.edu).




This article has been cited by other articles:


Home page
 CirculationHome page
B. Olshansky, H. N. Sabbah, P. J. Hauptman, and W. S. Colucci
Parasympathetic Nervous System and Heart Failure: Pathophysiology and Potential Implications for Therapy
Circulation, August 19, 2008; 118(8): 863 - 871.
[Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Cardiovasc ResHome page
M.S. Kostapanos, E.N. Liberopoulos, J.A. Goudevenos, D.P. Mikhailidis, and M.S. Elisaf
Do statins have an antiarrhythmic activity?
Cardiovasc Res, July 1, 2007; 75(1): 10 - 20.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Cardiovasc ResHome page
J. Bauersachs, K. Hiss, D. Fraccarollo, U. Laufs, and H. Ruetten
Simvastatin improves left ventricular function after myocardial infarction in hypercholesterolemic rabbits by anti-inflammatory effects
Cardiovasc Res, December 1, 2006; 72(3): 438 - 446.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 HypertensionHome page
I. H. Zucker
Novel Mechanisms of Sympathetic Regulation in Chronic Heart Failure
Hypertension, December 1, 2006; 48(6): 1005 - 1011.
[Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 J Am Coll CardiolHome page
K. Ramasubbu and D. L. Mann
The Emerging Role of Statins in the Treatment of Heart Failure
J. Am. Coll. Cardiol., January 17, 2006; 47(2): 342 - 344.
[Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 CirculationHome page
L. Gao, W. Wang, Y.-L. Li, H. D. Schultz, D. Liu, K. G. Cornish, and I. H. Zucker
Simvastatin Therapy Normalizes Sympathetic Neural Control in Experimental Heart Failure: Roles of Angiotensin II Type 1 Receptors and NAD(P)H Oxidase
Circulation, September 20, 2005; 112(12): 1763 - 1770.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
Visit Other APS Journals Online
Copyright © 2003 by the American Physiological Society.