Original Research Article
Year: 2017 | Month: June | Volume: 7 | Issue: 6 | Pages: 167-172
Effects of Simvastatin and Ezetimibe on Rats’ Parotid in Experimental Freund’s Adjuvant Arthritis
Nikos Seferos, Christine Tesseromatis, Madeleine Tsamouri, Antonia Kotsiou
National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Pharmacology Dpt, Medical School, Mikras Assias 75,11527,Athens, Greece
Corresponding Author: Antonia Kotsiou
ABSTRACT
Statins and ezetimibe, except from their lipid lowering action, have been reported to exert anti-inflammatory effects. It is interesting to investigate if there is any clinical efficacy of these drugs on rheumatoid arthritis. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of simvastatin and ezetimibe on parotid glands’ morphological alterations and on serum indexes in arthritic rats. Twenty-eight Wistar rats were divided into 4 groups. Group A, B and C were injected with 0.1ml Freund’s complete adjuvant in the paw. After the arthritic symptoms’ manifestation, Group B received simvastatin 0.1mg/100g per os and group C ezetimibe 3mg/kg for 14 days. Group D served as control. Total proteins, rheumatoid factor, TNF-a, paw diameter, parotid and adrenal weight, as well as parotid histology were negatively affected under the influence of Freund’s complete adjuvant. Simvastatin and ezetimibe administration significantly ameliorated all the above parameters. An amelioration in adjuvant arthritic laboratory findings and in parotid histology was demonstrated under simvastatin and ezetimibe administration, implying that both drugs possess a potential antiinflammatory action.
Key words: simvastatin, ezetimibe, parotid gland, rheumatoid arthritis