Statin rosuvastatin inhibits apoptosis of human coronary artery endothelial cells through upregulation of the JAK2/STAT3 signaling pathway

The purpose of the present study was to explore the potential molecular signaling pathway mediated by the statin rosuvastatin in cultured human coronary artery endothelial cells (HCAECs) induced by CoCl(2). CoCl(2) was used to induce the apoptosis of HCAECs. Myocardial infarction rats were established and received statin or PBS treatment. Reverse transcription-quantitative PCR, western blotting, ELISA, TUNEL assay and immunohistochemistry were used to analyze the role of statin treatment. The results showed that rosuvastatin treatment decreased apoptosis of HCAECs induced by CoCl(2) by increasing anti-apoptosis Bcl-xl and Bcl-2 expression, and decreasing pro-apoptosis Bax, Bad, caspase-3 and caspase-9 expression. The myocardial ischemia rat model demonstrated that rosuvastatin treatment decreased the mitochondrial reactive oxygen species, inflammation, mitochondrial damage, lipid catabolism, heart failure and the myocardial infarction areas, but improved the cardiac function indicators, right and left ventricular ejection fraction and increased expression levels of Janus kinase (JAK) and signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT)3 in myocardial tissue. In conclusion, the results of the current study revealed that the statin rosuvastatin presents cardioprotective effects by activation of the JAK2/STAT3 signaling pathway.