Combined steroid and statin treatment could reduce 'accelerated ageing' in preterm babies, a study in rat

Combined steroid and statin treatment could reduce 'accelerated ageing' in preterm babies, study in rats suggests, potentially life-saving steroids commonly given to preterm babies also increase the risk of long-term cardiovascular problems, but a new study in rats has found that if given in conjunction with statins, their positive effects remain while the potential negative side-effects are 'weeded out'.

Cambridge scientists gave new-born rats, which are naturally born prematurely, combined glucocorticoid steroids and statin therapy. The results, published in Hypertension, show that the combined treatment led to the elimination of negative effects of steroids on the cardiovascular system while retaining their positive effects on the developing respiratory system.

Preterm birth (before 37 weeks) is one of the greatest killers in perinatal medicine today. One in ten babies is born preterm in high-income countries; this can increase to almost 40% in low-and middle-income countries.

Preterm babies are extremely vulnerable because they miss out on a crucial final developmental stage in which the hormone cortisol is produced and released exponentially into the unborn baby’s blood. Cortisol is vital to the maturation of organs and systems that are needed to keep the baby alive once born.

The established clinical treatment for any pregnancy threatened with preterm birth is glucocorticoid therapy, given via the mother before the baby is born and/or directly to the baby after birth. These synthetic steroids mimic the natural cortisol by speeding up the development of organs - including the lungs -  which means the preterm baby is much more likely to survive.

Reference:

Combined steroid and statin treatment could reduce ‘accelerated ageing’ in preterm babies, study in rats suggests; Hypertension, DOI: 10.1161/HYPERTENSIONAHA.122.19647