Beneficial effects of simvastatin on acute coxsackievirus B3 murine myocarditis

AIM To elucidate the effect of HMGCoA reducatase inhibitor on the early stage of viral myocarditis. METHODS Mice were infected with coxasckievirus B3 and divided into two main protocols. Mice in the treated protocol (n=15) were treated on day 1 after infection with either simvastatin or saline through day 14 of infection and six mice at random from each group were killed on day 6 of infection. RESULTS Heart mass was 69 ±13 mg in the simavastatintreated group vs 96±16 mg in the control group (P<0.01). The degree of inflammation, necrosis, and dystrophic calcification assessed with a semiquantitative histological score was significantly less in the simvastatintreated group. The degree of pathological involvement determined by planimetry of histological sections was （8.0± 7.3）% for the simvastatintreated group vs （22.9 ±10.6）% for the salinetreated group (P<0.01). The 14day survival rate of simvastatintreated group was higher than that of the control group(P<0.05). CONCLUSION Simvastatin is beneficial in acute coxsckievirus B3 murine myocarditis because it reduces heart mass and necrosis when administered early.