Effect of Simvastatin on Apoptosis Inhibition in Renal Tissue after Unilateral Ureteral Obstruction in Rat

Obstructive uropathy can be used to indicate any obstruction to urinary flow which causes a developing of hydronephrosis, tubular atrophy and associated renal impairment. Comparative reductase inhibitors such as simvastatin increase HDL-cholesterol and decrease serum triglyceride and cholesterol. It is widely recognized that statins have organ protective nature and most effective for organ damage progressing. The aim of this study was evaluation of simvastatin on apoptosis in renal tissue after unilateral ureteral obstruction in rat. In this experimental study, 50 adult male Sprague-Dawley rats were subjected to Unilateral Ureteral Obstruction (UM) and randomly divided into five groups (ten rats in each groups) as follows: Control group, UUO, UUO/SIM, Sham-operated and Sham/SIM. Control animals received orally drug solvent by gavage for 15 days (start before operation). Unilateral ureteral obstruction was performed in groups 2 and 3 and sham operations were performed in groups 4 and 5. In group 2 animals received drug solvent and in group 3 animals received simvastatin (2 mg/kg/twice daily) for 15 days. Rats were sacrificed either at day 14. After sampling and fixation in saline formalin 10%, tissue processing and preparing histological section and staining with tunnel method, apoptosis were studied in renal tissue in different groups. Tunnel staining determined that experimental unilateral ureteral obstruction caused of induction of apoptosis in tubular cells of renal tissue. But in simvastatin treated animals number of apoptotic cells significantly (p<0.05) decreased. There was no significant difference between control and sham groups. The results showed that experimental unilateral ureteral obstruction induced apoptosis in renal tissue but simvastatin administration decreased number of apoptotic cells in renal tissue. It needs to be more investigation for approving of organ protective action of simvastatin in human renal disorders.