Figure 8.

Long-term atorvastatin (Ator) treatment induced enlarged rough ER lumen and reduced electron-dense mitochondrial contact sites. Healthy WT mice treated with vehicle (Veh) (A), atorvastatin (Ator) (B), or pravastatin (Prava) (C) for 7 mo were perfusion fixed and assessed by TEM. Arrows: rough ER membrane structures decorated with ribosomes; asterisks: mitochondria, with or without electron-dense contact sites. Enlarged ER lumen, lack of electron-dense contact sites, and swollen cristae formation were seen only in Ator-treated hearts (n = 4 hearts/group, 15 areas scanned/heart at 11,000 × each). Scale bar, 500 nm.