Cholesterol metabolism differs after statin therapy according to the type of hyperlipemia.

Abstract

AIM:

Non-cholesterol sterols reflect cholesterol metabolism. Statins reduce cholesterol synthesis usually with a rise in cholesterol absorption. Common hyperlipemias have shown different patterns of cholesterol metabolism. We evaluated whether cholesterol absorption and synthesis may differ after statin therapy in primary hyperlipemias.

MAIN METHODS:

We determined lipid profile, apoprotein B and serum sterols (lathosterol, sitosterol, campesterol by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry) before and after statins in 80 untreated hyperlipemic patients, 40 with polygenic hypercholesterolemia (PH) and 40 with familial combined hyperlipemia (FCH).

KEY FINDINGS:

At baseline in FCH lathosterol was significantly higher while campesterol and sitosterol were significantly lower than in PH. After statins, the reduction in LDL-C did not significantly differ between the two groups; in PH there was a significant decrease of lathosterol from 96.1 to 52.6 102 μmol/mmol cholesterol (p=0.0001) with no significant modifications in campesterol and sitosterol; on the opposite, in FCH lathosterol decreased from 117 to 43 102 μmol/mmol cholesterol (p=0.0001) and campesterol and sitosterol significantly increased from 38 to 48 102 μmol/mmol cholesterol (p=0.0001), and from 75 to 86 102 μmol/mmol cholesterol, (p=0.022), respectively. After statin therapy only in FCH Δ-LDL-C showed a significant inverse correlation with Δ-sitosterol and with Δ-campesterol.

SIGNIFICANCE:

Primary hyperlipemias show different patterns of response to statins: in PH LDL reduction appears completely "synthesis inhibition" dependent, while in FCH LDL decrease appears to be synthesis dependent, partially limited by absorption increase. Studying cholesterol metabolism before and after hypolipemic therapy might be useful in identifying the best tailored treatment.

• Authors: Graziana Lupattelli, Donatella Siepi, Stefano De Vuono, Anna Rita Roscini, Federica Crisanti, Domenico Covelli, Matteo Pirro, Elmo Mannarino
• Journal: Life sciences (Life Sci) Vol. 90 Issue 21-22 Pg. 846-50 (Jun 06 2012) ISSN: 1879-0631 [Electronic] Netherlands
• PMID: 22554491 (Publication Type: Controlled Clinical Trial, Journal Article)
• Copyright: Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Chemical References

• Cholesterol, LDL
• Heptanoic Acids
• Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors
• Lipids
• Phytosterols
• Pyrroles
• Sitosterols
• campesterol
• gamma-sitosterol
• Cholesterol
• Atorvastatin
• Simvastatin

Topics

• Adult
• Aged
• Atorvastatin
• Cholesterol (analogs & derivatives, blood)
• Cholesterol, LDL (blood)
• Female
• Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry
• Heptanoic Acids (pharmacology)
• Humans
• Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors (pharmacology)
• Hypercholesterolemia (drug therapy)
• Hyperlipidemia, Familial Combined (drug therapy)
• Hyperlipidemias (drug therapy)
• Lipids (blood)
• Male
• Middle Aged
• Phytosterols (blood)
• Pyrroles (pharmacology)
• Simvastatin (pharmacology)
• Sitosterols (blood)