Pravastatin therapy increases procollagen I N-terminal propeptide (PINP), a marker of bone formation in post-menopausal women.
BACKGROUND
The aim of our study was to evaluate whether pravastatin treatment affected biochemical markers of bone turnover.


METHODS
Thirty-six hypercholesterolemic post-menopausal women, not on hormonal replacement therapy, were selected from a population study evaluating factors affecting cholesterol response to pravastatin. After a 6-week period on a 30% fat diet, participants received treatment with 20 mg/day of pravastatin during a 16-week follow-up period. Pre- and post-treatment samples were analyzed for procollagen I aminoterminal peptide (PINP) and bone alkaline phosphatase (bAP) as markers of bone formation, carboxyterminal telopeptide of collagen I (CTX) as a marker of bone resorption, and procollagen III aminoterminal propeptide (PIIINP) as a marker of fibrogenesis.


RESULTS
Total cholesterol decreased from 7.26+/-0.83 to 6.1+/-0.77 mmol/l with pravastatin treatment. PINP levels significantly increased (from 33.6+/-13 to 37.4+/-16, p=0.03) without changes in bAP or CTX. Individual changes in PINP correlated with individual reduction in cholesterol levels (r=0.337, p=0.04). There was no significant change in PIIINP concentration.


CONCLUSIONS
Pravastatin treatment increased PINP levels, a marker of bone formation, in hypercholesterolemic, post-menopausal women, without affecting bone resorption. PIIINP concentration, a marker of liver fibrogenesis, was not affected by the treatment.
Mostaza
J M
JM
Atherosclerosis Unit, Hospital Carlos III, Sinesio Delgado 10, 28029 Madrid, Spain. jmostazap@medynet.com
De la Piedra
C
C
Curiel
M D
MD
Peña
R
R
Lahoz
C
C
D000328:Adult; D000469:Alkaline Phosphatase / Q000187:drug effects*; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D001861:Bone Regeneration / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000032:analysis; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006937:Hypercholesterolemia / Q000188:drug therapy; D008875:Middle Aged; D010446:Peptide Fragments / Q000187:drug effects*; D017698:Postmenopause / Q000502:physiology; D017035:Pravastatin / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D011347:Procollagen / Q000187:drug effects*
D015415:Biomarkers; D010446:Peptide Fragments; D011347:Procollagen; C047202:procollagen Type I N-terminal peptide; C041876:procollagen Type III-N-terminal peptide; D002784:Cholesterol; D000469:Alkaline Phosphatase; D017035:Pravastatin