Atorvastatin ameliorates cerebral vasospasm and early brain injury after subarachnoid hemorrhage and inhibits caspase-dependent apoptosis pathway
2009

Atorvastatin Reduces Brain Injury After Subarachnoid Hemorrhage

Sample size: 64 publication 10 minutes Evidence: moderate

Author Information

Author(s): Cheng Gao, Wei Liu, Zhi-dan Sun, Shi-guang Zhao, Xiang-zhen Liu

Primary Institution: The First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University

Hypothesis

Can atorvastatin reduce brain injury and cerebral vasospasm after subarachnoid hemorrhage?

Conclusion

Atorvastatin may protect the brain after subarachnoid hemorrhage by inhibiting a specific apoptosis pathway.

Supporting Evidence

  • Atorvastatin reduced mortality in treated rats compared to the vehicle group.
  • Cerebral vasospasm was significantly less in atorvastatin-treated rats.
  • Neurological scores improved in atorvastatin-treated rats at 24 hours post-SAH.

Takeaway

Atorvastatin helps the brain heal after a serious injury by stopping some cells from dying.

Methodology

Rats were treated with atorvastatin before inducing subarachnoid hemorrhage, and various physiological and neurological outcomes were measured.

Potential Biases

Potential bias in treatment administration and outcome assessment due to lack of blinding.

Limitations

The study was conducted on a rat model, which may not fully replicate human conditions.

Participant Demographics

Male Sprague-Dawley rats, weighing 300 to 350 g.

Statistical Information

P-Value

p<0.05

Statistical Significance

p<0.05

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

10.1186/1471-2202-10-7

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