title: Pleiotropic effects of statins in atherosclerotic disease: focus on the antioxidant activity of atorvastatin.
abstract: Cardiovascular diseases, which are the leading cause of mortality in the Western World, are closely associated with atherosclerosis development. Atherosclerosis is a chronic multifactorial disease of the arterial wall characterized by endothelial dysfunction, inflammation and oxidative stress. Oxidative stress is an alteration of the balance between pro-oxidant and antioxidant mechanisms which promotes vascular complications and represents a valid therapeutic target to prevent or treat cardiovascular diseases. Statins are enzyme 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme A reductase inhibitors that have been included in the therapeutic regimen of cardiovascular diseases due to their lipid-lowering activity. Experimental and clinical data demonstrated that the antiatherogenic effects of these drugs are also related to other pleiotropic activities, particularly to their anti-inflammatory, anti-thrombotic and antioxidant effects. This review summarizes experimental and clinical studies demonstrating the impact of statins on atherosclerotic disease with a focus on the antioxidant activity of atorvastatin. Atorvastatin is a synthetic statin characterized by a high efficacy, in part due to its longer half-life compared to other molecules of the same group. It also exerts high antioxidant effects, independent from its hypolipidemic activity, beneficial for the prevention and therapy of atherosclerosis.
authors.forename: Elisabetta
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Profumo
authors.forename: Brigitta
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Buttari
authors.forename: Luciano
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Saso
authors.affiliation: Department of Infectious, Parasitic and Immune-Mediated Diseases, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, viale Regina Elena 299, 00161, Rome, Italy. rachele.rigano@iss.it.
authors.forename: Rachele
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Rigano
mesh_terms: D000975:Antioxidants / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D050197:Atherosclerosis / Q000188:drug therapy*; D000069059:Atorvastatin; D006538:Heptanoic Acids / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D011758:Pyrroles / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D006538:Heptanoic Acids; D011758:Pyrroles; D000069059:Atorvastatin