[Effect of atorvastatin on endothelial function in patients with familial hypercholesterolemia].
OBJECTIVE
To study the influence of treatment with HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor atorvastatin on endothelial function in patients with familial hypercholesterolemia type IIa.


METHODS
Sixteen patients (5m/11w, 51-/+3 years) with familial hypercholesterolemia were studied before and after 3 months of therapy with atorvastatin 20 mg/day. EDRF release test (D.Celermajer, 1992) was used to assess flow-mediated endothelium-dependent vasodilatation (FMD) of the brachial artery in response to reactive hyperemia. Plasma nitrite/nitrate (NOx) levels were measured as an indirect index of nitric oxide (NO) production in vivo using HPLC.


RESULTS
Atorvastatin treatment resulted in a 32% reduction in total serum cholesterol (CH), 41% reduction in low density lipoprotein (LDL) CH, 16% reduction in triglycerides and a 21% increase in high density lipoprotein CH. Flow mediated dilatation (FMD) was impaired at baseline (5.8-/+0.9%) and significantly improved up to 9.5-/+0.9% after 3 month atorvastatin therapy (p<0.002). Change in FMD inversely correlated with baseline FMD (r = -0.58, p<0.05). There was no significant correlation between FMD and neither total serum CH nor LDL CH levels at baseline. During atorvastatin therapy significant reduction of plasma NOx levels occurred from 53.4-/+5.1 mcmol/l at baseline (range 42.6-86.2 mcmol/l) to 35.5-/+5.1 mcmol/l (18.4-46.0 mcmol/l) after treatment (p<0.02, n=7).


CONCLUSIONS
In patients with familial hypercholesterolemia atorvastatin produced beneficial effect on endothelial function (increase in flow-mediated dilatation, decrease in NOx).
Balakhonova
T V
TV
Pogorelova
O A
OA
Susekov
A V
AV
Kobylianskiĭ
A G
AG
Kuznetsova
T V
TV
Tvorogova
M G
MG
Masenko
V P
VP
Titov
V N
VN
Kukharchuk
V V
VV
At'kov
O Iu
OIu
D000328:Adult; D000924:Anticholesteremic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000069059:Atorvastatin; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000187:drug effects*; D005260:Female; D006538:Heptanoic Acids / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D006937:Hypercholesterolemia / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000235:genetics*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011758:Pyrroles / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use*
D000924:Anticholesteremic Agents; D006538:Heptanoic Acids; D011758:Pyrroles; D000069059:Atorvastatin