title: Atorvastatin-induced changes in plasma coenzyme q10 and brain natriuretic peptide in patients with coronary artery disease.
abstract: The beneficial effects of statins in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) may be balanced by concerns that statins can depress production of ubiquinone (CoQ10), which serves as a component of mitochondrial energy production and an antioxidant. Accordingly, the effects of atorvastatin (ATO)-induced changes in plasma CoQ10 on BNP and oxidative stress were investigated. In 29 patients with CAD, the plasma levels of CoQ10 and BNP and urinary excretion of 8-iso-prostaglandin F2alpha (8-iso-PGF) were determined before and after 3-month treatment with ATO. Ten patients had received pravastatin and 10 patients fluvastatin, while 9 patients had not received any statin before ATO. There was a linear correlation between ATO-induced changes in total cholesterol and CoQ10 (r = 0.632, P < 0.01), and an inverse correlation between ATO-induced changes in CoQ10 and BNP (r = -0.497, P < 0.01). There was no significant correlation between ATO-induced changes in CoQ10 and 8-iso-PGF. Multivariate analysis revealed that ATO-induced decreases in plasma CoQ10 were significantly associated with increasing BNP levels. In conclusion, long-term treatment with ATO might increase plasma levels of BNP in patients with CAD when it is accompanied by a greater reduction in plasma CoQ10. However, ATO-induced decreases in CoQ10 might not increase oxidative stress.
authors.affiliation: Second Department of Internal Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, University of Toyama, Toyama, Japan.
authors.forename: Takayuki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Suzuki
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nozawa
authors.forename: Mitsuo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sobajima
authors.forename: Norio
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Igarashi
authors.forename: Akira
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Matsuki
authors.forename: Nozomu
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Fujii
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Inoue