Differential effects of pravastatin, simvastatin, and atorvastatin on Ca2+ release and vascular reactivity.
The direct effects of the cholesterol-lowering agents, 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme A (HMG CoA) reductase inhibitors, on vascular smooth muscle responsiveness were examined by incubation of isolated aorta from normocholesterolemic rats with simvastatin, atorvastatin, or pravastatin. The smooth muscle contractions caused by phenylephrine were progressively inhibited with increasing concentrations of simvastatin. Similarly, atorvastatin at the higher concentration caused decreased responses to phenylephrine. In contrast, incubation with pravastatin had no significant effect at all concentrations studied. In Ca2+-free buffer, the transient contraction caused by phenylephrine, which results from intracellular release of Ca2+, also was inhibited by simvastatin and atorvastatin but not by pravastatin. In cultured rat aortic smooth muscle cells loaded with fura-2, increases in intracellular free-Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]i) induced by angiotensin II were markedly inhibited in cells incubated with simvastatin and atorvastatin but not pravastatin. The inhibitory effects of simvastatin and atorvastatin were reversed by mevalonate. These findings demonstrate that inhibition of HMG CoA reductase by using simvastatin and atorvastatin, but not pravastatin, has effects on vascular smooth muscle cell responsiveness that involve alteration of Ca2+ homeostasis through a mevalonate-dependent pathway.
Tesfamariam
B
B
Department of Metabolic Diseases, Bristol-Myers Squibb Pharmaceutical Research Institute, Princeton, New Jersey 08543, USA.
Frohlich
B H
BH
Gregg
R E
RE
D000818:Animals; D000924:Anticholesteremic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001011:Aorta / Q000187:drug effects; D000069059:Atorvastatin; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002614:Chelating Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004347:Drug Interactions; D016257:Fura-2 / Q000494:pharmacology; D006538:Heptanoic Acids / Q000494:pharmacology; D019161:Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology*; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D008297:Male; D008798:Mevalonic Acid / Q000494:pharmacology; D009119:Muscle Contraction / Q000187:drug effects*; D009131:Muscle, Smooth, Vascular / Q000187:drug effects*; D010656:Phenylephrine / Q000494:pharmacology; D017035:Pravastatin / Q000494:pharmacology; D011758:Pyrroles / Q000494:pharmacology; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D019821:Simvastatin / Q000494:pharmacology; D014662:Vasoconstrictor Agents / Q000494:pharmacology
D000924:Anticholesteremic Agents; D002614:Chelating Agents; D006538:Heptanoic Acids; D019161:Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors; D011758:Pyrroles; D014662:Vasoconstrictor Agents; D010656:Phenylephrine; D000069059:Atorvastatin; D019821:Simvastatin; D017035:Pravastatin; D008798:Mevalonic Acid; D002118:Calcium; D016257:Fura-2