Key result
In mice, short-term administration of pravastatin partially reduced chronic vascular injury after irradiation, whereas long-term administration for one year completely reversed the irradiation-induced changes in vascular reactivity.
Why the study?
Statin use during radiation therapy has been associated with reduced cardiovascular risk, but whether irradiation causes chronic vascular injury and whether short-term statins are sufficient to prevent it compared with long-term statins remains unclear.
Does pravastatin prevent chronic vascular injury in mice exposed to head-and-neck irradiation?
Population
C57Bl/6 mice exposed to 12 Gy x-ray head-and-neck irradiation
Comparison
Pravastatin for one additional day vs for one year after irradiation
Design
Preclinical animal study
Follow-up
One year
Authors
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May support trials in irradiated patients; leaves open clinical translation from this mouse model.
Does pravastatin prevent chronic vascular injury in mice exposed to head-and-neck irradiation?
In a mouse model, short-term pravastatin administration reduces, and long-term administration abolishes, chronic vascular injury and endothelial dysfunction one year after head-and-neck irradiation.
Ait‐Aissa et al. (2023) studied Radiation-induced vascular injury. Pravastatin vs. Vehicle was evaluated on Vascular reactivity (endothelium-dependent vasorelaxation and vasoconstriction) of carotid arteries one year after irradiation. In mice, short-term administration of pravastatin partially reduced chronic vascular injury after irradiation, whereas long-term administration for one year completely reversed the irradiation-induced changes in vascular reactivity.
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