Effects of atorvastatin on progression-regression of renal injury in hyperlipidemic chickens
G. Adánez1, M.T. Castells2, B. García Pérez1, M.T. Sánchez-Polo1, A. Martín Castillo3, A. Montes4 and I. Ayala4*
1Universitary Clinical Hospital, Virgen de la Arrixaca, Murcia, 2Department of Cell Biology, Medical School, University of Murcia, 3Virgen del Rosell Hospital, Cartagena, Murcia and 4Department of Animal Medicine & Surgery, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Murcia, Campus de Espinardo, Murcia, Spain.
Offprint requests to: Dr. I. Ayala, Dpto. Medicina y Cirugía Animal, Facultad de Veterinaria, Campus de Espinardo s/n, Murcia 30100, Spain. e-mail: iayape@um.es
Summary. Complex interrelationships exist between hyperlipidemia and the progression of renal injury. The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of high plasma cholesterol and triglyceride levels on renal structure and the effects of atorvastatin on progression-regression of renal injury. One-hundred chickens were divided into five groups: Group A: Standard diet (SD) for 6 months; Group B: Hyperlipidemic diet (HD) for 6 months; Group C: HD for three months and SD during the next 3 months; Group D: HD for 3 months and SD during the next 3 months, when they received oral atorvastatin (3 mg/kg/d); Group E: HD for the whole 6 months, and atorvastatin (3 mg/kg/d) during the last 3 months. Increased α-actine immunostaining was found in glomeruli of groups B and C. An important decrease of immunostaining was observed in glomeruli of atorvastatin treated groups. Group D showed the lowest value for presence of lipids, and significant differences were found with respect to the rest of the groups. The glomeruli of group B presented the highest damage grades and those of group D showed the lowest grades and presented significant differences from the rest of the groups. The combination of atorvastatin therapy and proper diet proved to be effective in promoting renal disease regression. However, the study of several parameters indicates that neither only diet nor atorvastatin in the progression group resulted completely effective in decreasing the progression of the disease. Histol Histopathol 23, 1131-1142 (2008)
Key words: Atorvastatin, Hyperlipidemia, Renal injury, Chicken
DOI: 10.14670/HH-23.1131