Statins reverse renal inflammation and endothelial dysfunction induced by chronic high salt intake

High salt intake (HS) is a risk factor for cardiovascular and kidney disease. Indeed, HS may promote blood-pressure-independent tissue injury via inflammatory factors. The lipid-lowering 3-hydroxy 3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme A (HMG-CoA) reductase inhibitors exert beneficial lipid-independent effects, reducing the expression and synthesis of inflammatory factors. We hypothesized that HS impairs kidney structure and function in the absence of hypertension, and these changes are reversed by atorvastatin. Four groups of rats were treated for 6 wk in metabolic cages with their diets: normal salt (NS); HS, NS plus atorvastatin and HS plus atorvastatin. We measured basal and final body weight, urinary sodium and protein excretion (UProtV), and systolic blood pressure (SBP). At the end of the experimental period, cholesterolemia, creatinine clearance, renal vascular reactivity, glomerular volume, cortical and glomerular endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS), and transforming growth factor (TGF)-β1 expression wer...