title: The protective effect of rosuvastatin in human umbilical endothelial cells exposed to constant or intermittent high glucose.
abstract: In diabetes the exposure of the vascular endothelium to high glucose levels results in increased oxidative insult and in vascular dysfunction. We have investigated the effects of rosuvastatin on oxidative stress and apoptosis induced in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) by constant and intermittent high glucose levels. HUVECs were incubated for 14 days in either low (5 mM) or high (20 mM) glucose concentrations, or intermittent high and low glucose on a daily basis. Constant high glucose levels increased p47-phox, p67-phox, and p22-phox expression [components of the Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate [NAD(P)H] oxidase complex]; endothelial nitric oxide synthase, nitric oxide, and O(2)(-) production; nitrotyrosine, 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine, and caspase-3 expression; and reduced Bcl-2 expression. These effects were significantly greater under intermittent compared to constant high/low glucose conditions. The effect of rosuvastatin (1 microM) in the presence or absence of mevalonate (200 microM) was evaluated in the cells under both constant and intermittent glucose conditions. Rosuvastatin almost normalized all these parameters. These effects of rosuvastatin were prevented when mevalonate was also added, demonstrating the link to inhibition of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase. These data suggest that rosuvastatin has the potential to prevent damage to and apoptosis of HUVECs induced by high glucose exposure, by reducing oxidative stress. The action of rosuvastatin on antioxidant pathways is related to the inhibition of the overexpression of components of NAD(P)H oxidase induced by the two conditions of high glucose.
authors.affiliation: Morpurgo-Hofman Research Laboratory on Aging, Udine, Italy.
authors.forename: Ludovica
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Piconi
authors.forename: Maddalena
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Corgnali
authors.forename: Roberto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Da Ros
authors.forename: Roberta
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Assaloni
authors.forename: Teodoro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Piliego
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ceriello
mesh_terms: D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects*; D053148:Caspase 3 / Q000378:metabolism; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D005464:Fluorobenzenes / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005947:Glucose / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006801:Humans; D019161:Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology*; D019255:NADPH Oxidases / Q000378:metabolism; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000378:metabolism; D052250:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type III / Q000378:metabolism; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000187:drug effects*; D010100:Oxygen / Q000378:metabolism; D011743:Pyrimidines / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000068718:Rosuvastatin Calcium; D013449:Sulfonamides / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D005464:Fluorobenzenes; D019161:Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors; D011743:Pyrimidines; D013449:Sulfonamides; D009569:Nitric Oxide; D000068718:Rosuvastatin Calcium; D052250:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type III; D019255:NADPH Oxidases; D053148:Caspase 3; D005947:Glucose; D010100:Oxygen