Neuroprotective effects of pravastatin in cerebral venous infarction in a rat model

Objectives: Pravastatin sodium is reported to have multiple beneficial effects in cerebral atherosclerosis and neuronal injury; however, the preventive effects on cerebral venous ischemia are still unknown. Herein, we aimed to examine the neuroprotective effects of transoral prior administration of pravastatin sodium against cerebral cortical venous ischemia with suppression of apoptosis. Methods: Thirty 8-week-old male Wistar rats were divided equally into two study groups (n = 15 vs. n = 15); the pravastatin group was fed 1% pravastatin sodium with their usual diet for 2 weeks, while the control group only received the usual diet. Two-vein occlusion (2VO) model was applied for this study, and two adjacent cortical veins in each animal were permanently occluded photochemically with rose bengal dye. During photo-thrombosis, regional changes of the cerebral blood flow (CBF) in area of the venous ischemia were recorded. At 48-h after 2VO, animals were euthanized using perfusion fixation, and we histologically measured ratios of infarcted area to contralateral hemisphere, and counted Bax- and Bcl-2-positive cells in the penumbra to investigate the implications for apoptosis. Results: The ratio of infarcted area was significantly decreased in the pravastatin group compared to the control group (P