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Effects of atorvastatin and vitamin C on endothelial function of hypercholesterolemic patients.
- Source :
-
Atherosclerosis [Atherosclerosis] 2000 Oct; Vol. 152 (2), pp. 511-8. - Publication Year :
- 2000
-
Abstract
- We tested the effects of vitamin C and atorvastatin treatment on endothelium-dependent and endothelium-independent vasodilation in 18 hypercholesterolemic patients (ten men and eight women, aged 20-46 years) in comparison with 12 normal volunteers (seven men and five women, aged 20-45 years). The responses of the forearm blood flow (FBF) to acetylcholine (ACh) (7.5, 15 and 30 microg/min), sodium nitroprusside (SNP) (0.8, 1.6, 3.2 microg/min) and L-NMMA (2, 4, 8 micromol/min) were evaluated at baseline and after 1 month of atorvastatin (10 mg/day) treatment. Drugs were infused into the brachial artery and FBF was measured by strain-gauge plethysmography. At baseline, the response to ACh was significantly attenuated in hypercholesterolemics versus controls: at the highest dose (30 microg/min), FBF was 27.0+/-3.4 versus 11.5+/-1.9 ml.100 ml tissue(-1).min(-1) respectively (P<0.0001). No significant differences were found between groups during SNP infusion. The atorvastatin treatment significantly improved ACh-stimulated FBF: at highest dose the FBF increased to 14.9+/-1.5 ml.100 ml tissue(-1). min(-1) (P<0.0001). Similarly, the L-NMMA endothelial effects were significantly enhanced by lipid-lowering treatment, supporting the improvement of basal nitric oxide. Vitamin C increased ACh-vasodilation in the same way before and after atorvastatin treatment. In conclusion, the endothelial dysfunction in hypercholesterolemics is due to an oxidative stress and atorvastatin rapidly improves both basal and stimulated endothelium-dependent vasodilation.
- Subjects :
- Acetylcholine pharmacology
Adult
Antioxidants administration & dosage
Ascorbic Acid administration & dosage
Atorvastatin
Blood Flow Velocity
Cross-Over Studies
Dose-Response Relationship, Drug
Double-Blind Method
Female
Forearm blood supply
Humans
Hypercholesterolemia drug therapy
Infusions, Intra-Arterial
Male
Middle Aged
Nitroprusside pharmacology
Plethysmography
Vasodilation drug effects
Vasodilator Agents pharmacology
omega-N-Methylarginine pharmacology
Anticholesteremic Agents therapeutic use
Antioxidants pharmacology
Ascorbic Acid pharmacology
Endothelium, Vascular physiopathology
Heptanoic Acids therapeutic use
Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors therapeutic use
Hypercholesterolemia physiopathology
Pyrroles therapeutic use
Subjects
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 0021-9150
- Volume :
- 152
- Issue :
- 2
- Database :
- MEDLINE
- Journal :
- Atherosclerosis
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- 10998481
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.1016/s0021-9150(00)00370-1