Simvastatin increases plasma NO2- and NO3- levels in patients with hypercholesterolemia.
In this study, plasma NO2- and NO3- (NOx-) levels were studied after lowering cholesterol with simvastatin in 26 outpatients with hypercholesterolemia (male, 9; female, 17; mean age, 59 +/- 12 years; cholesterol level > 220 mg/dl). Simvastatin (5 mg) was orally administered once daily, and blood samples were collected before, and after 4 and 12 weeks of treatment. Total, very-low-density lipoprotein (VLDL), and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol were lowered (total, 254 +/- 44 mg/dl to 209 +/- 34 mg/dl; VLDL, 48 mg/dl [5-126 mg/dl] to 34 mg/dl [10-67 mg/dl]; LDL, 171 +/- 41 mg/dl to 133 +/- 37 mg/dl), but high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol was elevated (33 +/- 9.5 mg/dl to 39 +/- 11 mg/dl) at 12 weeks after starting simvastatin. Although the effects of simvastatin on the lipid levels nearly reached their maximum levels at 4 weeks, NOx- was elevated in a linear fashion with simvastatin (before; 8 +/- 17 mumol/l, at 12 weeks; 57 +/- 32 mumol/l). The % changes in the NOx- correlated directly with those in HDL-cholesterol at 12 weeks (P < 0.002) but not with other lipoprotein cholesterol fractions. These results suggest that simvastatin lowers cholesterol levels and elevates HDL while increasing the plasma NOx- levels.
Nakashima
Y
Y
Second Department of Internal Medicine, University of Occupational and Enviornmental Health, Japan, School of Medicine, Kitakyushu, Japan.
Toyokawa
Y
Y
Tanaka
S
S
Yamashita
K
K
Yashiro
A
A
Tasaki
H
H
Kuroiwa
A
A
D000284:Administration, Oral; D000924:Anticholesteremic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL / Q000097:blood; D015243:Cholesterol, VLDL / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D006937:Hypercholesterolemia / Q000097:blood* / Q000188:drug therapy; D008148:Lovastatin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009566:Nitrates / Q000097:blood*; D009573:Nitrites / Q000097:blood*; D019821:Simvastatin; D014461:Ultracentrifugation
D000924:Anticholesteremic Agents; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL; D015243:Cholesterol, VLDL; D009566:Nitrates; D009573:Nitrites; D008148:Lovastatin; D019821:Simvastatin