Effect of rosuvastatin on atrial structural remodeling in rabbits with myocardial infarction

The present study aimed to investigate the effect of rosuvastatin on atrial structural remodeling in rabbits with myocardial infarction (MI). The rabbits were randomly divided into 4 groups: The sham operation group (S; n=8), the MI group (MI; n=7), the group with low-dose rosuvastatin [R_s; 2.5 mg/(kg/d), n=7] and the group with high-dose rosuvastatin [R_l, 5 mg/(kg/d), n=8]. A rabbit MI model was established via ligation of the anterior descending coronary artery. After 8 weeks of intervention, the left atrial diameter (LAD), atrial collagen content, expression level of type I collagen and left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) were measured. LAD in the MI group was significantly larger than the S, R_s and R_l groups after 8 weeks. The left atrial collagen content of the MI group was also significantly greater than those observed in the other 3 groups. The expression of type I collagen in the MI group was significantly increased compared to the other 3 groups. However, LVEF of the MI group was lower compared to the other 3 groups. There were no significant differences between the R_s and R_l groups in the above indexes. In conclusion, rosuvastatin can improve post-MI atrial structural remodeling.