Novel Effects of Macrolide Antibiotics on Cardiovascular Diseases

Macrolide antibiotics are broadly used for the treatment of various microbial infections. However, they are also known to have multiple biologic effects, such as alteration of inflammatory factors and matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs). Because of controversial results in clinical trials, the effects of macrolides on cardiovascular diseases are still to be elucidated. It has been reported that MMP activity is upregulated in various cardiovascular diseases, such as myocarditis, cardiac transplant rejection and myocardial infarction. However, little is known about the effects of macrolides on cardiovascular diseases. We have reported that clarithromycin suppressed the development of myocarditis, cardiac rejection and myocardial ischemia using animal models. In this article, we reviewed the roles of MMPs in cardiovascular diseases and the effects of macrolides on the prevention of adverse tissue remodeling.