Atorvastatin and Simvastatin Promote Vascular Recovery after Experimental Intracerebral Hemorrhage: MRI and Histological Study

Statins, 3-hydroxy-3-methyl-glutaryl-coenzyme A (HMG-CoA) reductase inhibitors, provide neuroprotection with beneficial effects on the nervous and vascular systems by improving or restoring endothelial function, decreasing oxidative stress and vascular inflammation, and enhancing angiogenesis and neurogenesis.10,23 In previous studies we found that atorvastatin and simvastatin enhanced functional outcome, and that atorvastatin enhanced angiogenesis and synaptogenesis after ischemic stroke.3 Similar beneficial effects of simvastatin and atorvastatin have been suggested in relation to hemorrhagic stroke since ischemic stroke and hemorrhagic stroke have a number of common injury-mechanisms.19,26 Contrast mechanisms in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) are based on a wide variety of physical parameters, and MRI has been successfully applied to experimental ischemic stroke.27 MRI has a high sensitivity for assessing the temporal evolution of ICH and may be useful in evaluating the impact of therapeutic interventions after experimental ICH in animal models16,20, and eventually in humans. To date, little is known about the longitudinal multiparametric MRI assessment of therapeutic intervention on the experimental model of ICH. In the present study, we used longitudinal multiparametric MRI and immunohistochemistry to assess the therapeutic effects after ICH in rats. We hypothesized that 1) statins reduce edema and vascular injury while promoting angiogenesis and synaptogenesis, and 2) multiparametric MRI can assess the temporal evolution of brain tissue injury and repair and the effects of therapeutic intervention after experimental ICH.