Abstract: AIM: To investigate the effects of atorv-astain on transcription levels of cytokines of TGF-β,andIL-1ppost acute myocardial infarction in rats. METH-ODS: Rats with acute myocardial infarction were random-ly divided into myocardial infarction group and'atorvastaintreatment group(21 in each group). 13 normal rats wereused as non-infarction controls(sham group). In treat-I ment group,atorvastain wasintragastrically administra-tered at the 2 nd day after myocardial infarction. After 1week, TGF-β, and IL-1β mRNA were detemined in eachgroup. After 6 weeks, the cardiac function, related ven-tricular remodeling parameters and TGF-β and IL-1β mR-NA were determined as well. RESULTS: Compared withmyocardial infarction group, atorvastain significantly de-creased LV end-diastolic dimension (LVEDD). However,the ventricular remodeling parameters, ejection fraction(EF) and fractional shortening (FS) weresignificantly increased in atorvastain treatment group, compared withmyocardial infarction group (P < 0.05). The mRNAtranscription levels of TGF-β, and IL-lβ in both myocardi-al infarction and atorvastain treatment groups were signifi-cantly higher than those in the sham group (P < 0.05).After 6 weeks, IL-1β and TGF-β mRNA levels were in-creased in myocardial infarction group. After treatmentwith atorvastain for 6 weeks, the mRNA levels of IL-1β and TGF-β were decreased compared with myocardial in-farction group(P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Atorvastaincandownregulate TGF-β, and IL-1β transcription and maybe effetive in preventingventricular remodeling aftermyocardial infarction in rats.

Key words: Smyocardial infarction, ventricular re-modeling, TGF-β, IL-1β, atorvastain