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Background: Statins lower cholesterol by inhibiting HMG-CoA reductase, the rate-limiting enzyme of the metabolic pathway that produces cholesterol and other isoprenoids. Little is known about their effects on metabolite and lipoprotein subclass profiles. We, therefore, investigated the molecular changes associated with pravastatin treatment compared with placebo administration using a nuclear magnetic resonance-based metabolomics platform., Methods and Results: We performed metabolic profiling of 231 lipoprotein and metabolite measures in the PREVEND IT (Prevention of Renal and Vascular End-stage Disease Intervention Trial) study, a placebo-controlled randomized clinical trial designed to test the effects of pravastatin (40 mg once daily) on cardiovascular risk. Metabolic profiles were assessed at baseline and after 3 months of treatment. Pravastatin lowered low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (change in SD units [95% confidence interval]: -1.01 [-1.14, -0.88]), remnant cholesterol (change in SD units [95% confidence interval]: -1.03 [-1.17, -0.89]), and apolipoprotein B (change in SD units [95% confidence interval]: -0.98 [-1.11, -0.86]) with similar effect magnitudes. In addition, pravastatin globally lowered levels of lipoprotein subclasses, with the exception of high-density lipoprotein subclasses, which displayed a more heterogeneous response pattern. The lipid-lowering effect of pravastatin was accompanied by selective changes in lipid composition, particularly in the cholesterol content of very-low-density lipoproteinparticles. In addition, pravastatin reduced levels of several fatty acids but had limited effects on fatty acid ratios., Conclusions: These randomized clinical trial data demonstrate the widespread effects of pravastatin treatment on lipoprotein subclass profiles and fatty acids., Clinical Trial Registration: URL: http://www.clinicaltrials.gov. Unique identifier: NCT03073018., (© 2017 American Heart Association, Inc.)

Background: Recent studies found an immune regulatory role for Y chromosome and a relationship between loss of Y chromosome (LOY) in blood cells and a higher risk of cancer and mortality. Given involvement of immune cells in atherosclerosis, we hypothesized that LOY is associated with the severity of atherosclerotic plaque characteristics and outcome in men undergoing carotid endarterectomy., Methods and Results: LOY was quantified in blood and plaque from raw intensity genotyping data in men within the Athero-Express biobank study. Plaques were dissected, and the culprit lesions used for histology and the measurement of inflammatory proteins. We tested LOY for association with (inflammatory) atherosclerotic plaque phenotypes and cytokines and assessed the association of LOY with secondary events during 3-year follow-up. Of 366 patients with carotid endarterectomy, 61 exhibited some degree of LOY in blood. LOY was also present in atherosclerotic plaque lesions (n=8/242, 3%). LOY in blood was negatively associated with age (β=-0.03/10 y; r 2 =0.07; P =1.6×10 -7 ) but not with cardiovascular disease severity at baseline. LOY in blood was associated with a larger atheroma size (odds ratio, 2.15; 95% confidence interval, 1.06-4.76; P =0.04); however, this association was not significant after correction for multiple testing. LOY was independently associated with secondary major cardiovascular events (hazard ratio=2.28; 95% confidence interval, 1.11-4.67; P =0.02) in blood when corrected for confounders., Conclusions: In this hypothesis-generating study, LOY in blood is independently associated with secondary major cardiovascular events in a severely atherosclerotic population. Our data could indicate that LOY affects secondary outcome via other mechanisms than inflammation in the atherosclerotic plaque., (© 2017 American Heart Association, Inc.)

Background: As genome-wide association efforts, such as CARDIoGRAM and METASTROKE, are ongoing to reveal susceptibility loci for their underlying disease-atherosclerotic disease-identification of candidate genes explaining the associations of these loci has proven the main challenge. Many disease susceptibility loci colocalize with DNA regulatory elements, which influence gene expression through chromatin interactions. Therefore, the target genes of these regulatory elements can be considered candidate genes. Applying these biological principles, we used an alternative approach to annotate susceptibility loci and identify candidate genes for human atherosclerotic disease based on circular chromosome conformation capture followed by sequencing., Methods and Results: In human monocytes and coronary endothelial cells, we generated 63 chromatin interaction data sets for 37 active DNA regulatory elements that colocalize with known susceptibility loci for coronary artery disease (CARDIoGRAMplusC4D) and large artery stroke (METASTROKE). By circular chromosome conformation capture followed by sequencing, we identified a physical 3-dimensional interaction with 326 candidate genes expressed in at least 1 of these cell types, of which 294 have not been reported before. We highlight 16 genes based on expression quantitative trait loci., Conclusions: Our findings provide additional candidate-gene annotation for 37 disease susceptibility loci for human atherosclerotic disease that are of potential interest to better understand the complex pathophysiology of cardiovascular diseases., (© 2017 American Heart Association, Inc.)

Background: Left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) and infarct size (ISZ) are key predictors of long-term survival after myocardial infarction (MI). However, little is known about the biochemical pathways driving LV dysfunction after MI. To identify novel biomarkers predicting post-MI LVEF and ISZ, we performed metabolic profiling in the GIPS-III randomized clinical trial (Glycometabolic Intervention as Adjunct to Primary Percutaneous Intervention in ST Elevation Myocardial Infarction). We also investigated the metabolic footprint of metformin, a drug associated with improved post-MI LV function in experimental studies., Methods and Results: Participants were patients with ST-segment-elevated MI who were randomly assigned to receive metformin or placebo for 4 months. Blood samples were obtained on admission, 24 hours post-MI, and 4 months post-MI. A total of 233 metabolite measures were quantified using nuclear magnetic resonance spectrometry. LVEF and ISZ were assessed 4 months post-MI. Twenty-four hours post-MI measurements of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) triglycerides (HDL-TG) predicted LVEF (β=1.90 [95% confidence interval (CI), 0.82 to 2.98]; P=6.4×10 -4 ) and ISZ (β=-0.41 [95% CI, -0.60 to -0.21]; P=3.2×10 -5 ). In addition, 24 hours post-MI measurements of medium HDL-TG (β=-0.40 [95% CI, -0.60 to -0.20]; P=6.4×2×10 -5 ), small HDL-TG (β=-0.34 [95% CI, -0.53 to -0.14]; P=7.3×10 -4 ), and the triglyceride content of very large HDL (β=-0.38 [95% CI, -0.58 to -0.18]; P=2.7×10 -4 ) were associated with ISZ. After the 4-month treatment, the phospholipid content of very large HDL was lower in metformin than in placebo-treated patients (28.89% versus 38.79%; P=7.5×10 -5 ); alanine levels were higher in the metformin group (0.46 versus 0.44 mmol/L; P=2.4×10 -4 )., Conclusions: HDL triglyceride concentrations predict post-MI LVEF and ISZ. Metformin increases alanine levels and reduces the phospholipid content in very large HDL particles., Clinical Trial Registration: URL: https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT01217307. Unique Identifier: NCT01217307., (© 2017 American Heart Association, Inc.)