title: Comparative pharmacokinetics of lovastatin, simvastatin and pravastatin in humans.
abstract: Twelve healthy male volunteers received single market-image 40-mg oral doses of lovastatin and simvastatin (both lactone prodrugs), or pravastatin (a beta-hydroxyacid) at 1 week intervals in a three-way crossover study to quantify HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors in plasma. Multiple plasma samples were collected up to 24 hours after the dose and assayed for active and total HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors. After equal oral doses, higher plasma concentrations of HMG-CoA reductase inhibitory activity after pravastatin than after either lovastatin of simvastatin (2-3 fold greater area under the concentration-time curve) suggest a greater potential availability of pravastatin-related inhibitory activity to peripheral tissues.
authors.affiliation: Third Department of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Finland.
authors.forename: P J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Pentikainen
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Saraheimo
authors.forename: J I
authors.initials: JI
authors.lastname: Schwartz
authors.forename: R D
authors.initials: RD
authors.lastname: Amin
authors.forename: M S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Schwartz
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Brunner-Ferber
authors.forename: J D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Rogers
mesh_terms: D000284:Administration, Oral; D000328:Adult; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D006801:Humans; D019161:Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors; D008148:Lovastatin / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D008297:Male; D017035:Pravastatin / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D019821:Simvastatin
chemical_list: D019161:Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors; D008148:Lovastatin; D019821:Simvastatin; D017035:Pravastatin