Abstract: [Abstract]  Objective   To observe effects of atorvastatin on endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) and neural function in rats with traumatic brain injury.  Methods  Thirty adult male Wistar rats were randomly divided into sham group，treatment group and control group，10 for each group. The treatment group and the control group adopted hydraulic combat to produce traumatic brain injury (TBI) model. Rats in sham group underwent the same surgical procedure without being exposed to percussion injury. Rats were treated with atorvastatin (orally, 1 mg·kg-1·d-1) starting 1h after TBI for 14 consecutive days in treatment group. Rats were given saline orally in control group. Circulating EPCs were measured at 1, 4, 7, 14 and 21 days after TBI. The mNSS test was conducted at 1, 4, 7, 14 and 21 days after TBI. Morris water mass（MWM）was performed at 21-25days after TBI. The percentage of target quadrant was recorded in three groups.  Results  The neural function of rats was impaired by hydraulic combat. The mNSS scores were significantly lower in treatment group at 14 and 21 days after TBI compared with those of control group (P < 0.05). The percentage of target quadrant was significantly higher in treatment group than that of control group at 24 and 25 days after TBI (P < 0.05). Conclusion   Atorvastatin can regulate circulating EPCs and promote the recovery of neural function in rats with traumatic brain injury.

Key words: antilipemic agents, brain injury, stem cell, endothelial cell, nervous system, rats, Wistar, 阿托伐他汀