Simvastatin Blocks Blood-Brain Barrier Disruptions Induced by Elevated Cholesterol Both In Vivo and In Vitro
Figure 2
Simvastatin has no effect on high-cholesterol diet-induced downregulation of tight junction proteins. Cryostat sections of the olfactory bulbs and hippocampus were incubated with fluorescently labeled antibodies against occludin and ZO-1, and representative images for each treatment group are shown. (a) Decreased ZO-1 immunostaining was observed in the olfactory bulbs and hippocampus of cholesterol-fed rabbits (supplemented with 2% cholesterol for 10 weeks). This effect was not blocked by treatment with simvastatin (5 mg/kg/day for 4 weeks). (b) Decreased occludin immunostaining was observed both in the olfactory bulbs and hippocampus of cholesterol-fed rabbits, and this effect was not blocked by simvastatin (200×).
