title: Influence of drug treatment on glucocorticoid receptor levels in patients with coronary heart disease.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Glucocorticoid signaling exerts major roles in inflammation, metabolism and depression, which are three crucial factors accompanying or underlying coronary heart disease. Although accumulating evidence indicates the influence of glucocorticoids on the pathology and treatment of coronary heart disease, there is still a dearth of pharmaceutical mechanisms for this relationship. This study aimed to investigate the influence of drug treatment on glucocorticoid receptor levels in coronary heart disease.
  
  
  METHODS
  Eighty hospitalized patients (average age (59.0 +/- 7.5) years, 46 male and 34 female) with coronary heart disease were categorized into four groups with 20 members in each according to one of the four drugs they were treated with. The four drugs were: nitrated derivative isosorbide dinitrate, the beta-adrenergic receptor blocker metoprolol, the calcium antagonist nifedipine, and the HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor lovastatin. Glucocorticoid receptor protein levels of peripheral blood lymphocytes were tested using immunoblotting analysis before and after one month of treatment.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Immunoblotting analysis showed increased glucocorticoid receptor levels after treatment with metoprolol and nifedipine. There were no statistically significant changes of glucocorticoid receptor levels after treatment with isosorbide dinitrate or lovastatin, although there were trends of up-regulation of glucocorticoid receptor expression after both treatments.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Both the beta-blocker and the calcium blocker can increase glucocorticoid receptor levels after chronic administration. This effect suggests a mechanism for their anti-inflammatory and other therapeutic roles for coronary heart disease and comorbid disorders.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gereology, Peking University Aerospace Medical College, Beijing 100049, China.
authors.forename: Hong
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ji
authors.forename: Wei-Zao
authors.initials: WZ
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.forename: Zhi-Hong
authors.initials: ZH
authors.lastname: Yan
authors.forename: Di
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Cui-Lian
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Lu
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D015153:Blotting, Western; D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007548:Isosorbide Dinitrate / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008148:Lovastatin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008297:Male; D008790:Metoprolol / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008875:Middle Aged; D009543:Nifedipine / Q000627:therapeutic use; D011965:Receptors, Glucocorticoid / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D011965:Receptors, Glucocorticoid; D008148:Lovastatin; D008790:Metoprolol; D009543:Nifedipine; D007548:Isosorbide Dinitrate