Figure 1.

Atorvastatin (ATV) attenuates hypoxia/reoxygenation (H/R)-induced increase in ratio of cleaved PARP-to-uncleaved PARP. (A) Western blot analysis of whole-brain lysates isolated from normoxic (Nx), hypoxic (Hx), and H/R-treated rats dosed with ATV (20 mg/kg). Animals receiving ATV (20 mg/kg, intraperitoneally) were dosed 1 hour before hypoxia treatment (1 hour, 6% O₂). Animals receiving the organic anion transporting polypeptide 1a4 (Oatp1a4) transport inhibitor estrone-3-sulfate (E3S; 2.5 mg/kg, intraperitoneally) were dosed 30 minutes before ATV administration. Brain samples (10 μg) were resolved on a 4% to 12% SDS-polyacrylamide gel, transferred onto a polyvinylidene difluoride (PVDF) membrane, and analyzed for expression of cleaved and uncleaved PARP. (B) Relative cleaved-to-uncleaved PARP ratios determined by densitometric analysis and expressed as fold change over control. Results are expressed as mean±s.d. of three separate experiments where each group consists of pooled whole-brain lysates from three individual animals. Asterisks represent data points that are significantly different from control. (C) Dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) vehicle control does not alter the ratio of cleaved PARP-to-uncleaved PARP in Nx, Hx, or H/R 10-minute treatments (NS, not significant). PARP, poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase.