3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase inhibitors improve myocardial high-energy phosphate metabolism in men.
OBJECTIVE
We intended to prove that 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase inhibitors or statins have a beneficial impact on the human myocardial, high-energy, phosphate metabolism.


METHODS
The present study included 18 male patients (mean age 49.8 +/- 10.3) with statin-treated, familiar hypercholesterolemia (FH) and 13 male patients with untreated FH (mean age 44.6 +/- 9.5). Twenty-six healthy male volunteers served as controls (mean age 44.2 +/- 12.1). Phosphorus-31, two-dimensional chemical shift imaging (31P 2D CSI) of the heart was performed in all subjects using a 1.5 Tesla whole-body magnetic resonance (MR) scanner. The ratios between phosphocreatine (PCr) and beta-adenosine-triphosphate (beta-ATP) were calculated for the left ventricular myocardium. Furthermore, echocardiographic evaluation and stress tests were performed in all individuals.


RESULTS
The untreated patients with FH exhibited a significant decrease in left ventricular PCr to beta-ATP ratios (1.78 +/- 0.34) compared with statin-treated FH patients (2.15 +/- 0.26, p < 0.001) and healthy controls (2.04 +/- 0.26, p = 0.009). The left ventricular PCr-to-beta-ATP ratios of the treated FH patients were in the range of the healthy controls.


CONCLUSIONS
Our study shows for the first time an-improvement of the high-energy, phosphate metabolism in the left ventricular myocardium of patients with statin-treated FH compared with untreated FH patients.
Schocke
Michael F
MF
Department of Radiology, University Hospital Innsbruck, Anichstrasse 35, A-6020, Innsbruck, Austria.
Martinek
Martin
M
Kremser
Christian
C
Wolf
Christian
C
Steinboeck
Peter
P
Lechleitner
Monika
M
Jaschke
Werner
W
Pachinger
Otmar
O
Metzler
Bernhard
B
D000255:Adenosine Triphosphate / Q000032:analysis; D000328:Adult; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL / Q000097:blood; D004452:Echocardiography / Q000379:methods; D005080:Exercise Test; D006352:Heart Ventricles / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D019161:Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006937:Hypercholesterolemia / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism*; D019028:Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Cine; D009682:Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009206:Myocardium / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D010710:Phosphates / Q000378:metabolism*; D010725:Phosphocreatine / Q000032:analysis; D010758:Phosphorus
D008078:Cholesterol, LDL; D019161:Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors; D010710:Phosphates; D010725:Phosphocreatine; D010758:Phosphorus; D000255:Adenosine Triphosphate; D002784:Cholesterol