Pitavastatin subacutely improves endothelial function and reduces inflammatory cytokines and chemokines in patients with hypercholesterolaemia

Pitavastatin is a statin with strong pleiotropic effects, but the effects of pitavastatin on endothelial cell function (ECF) and both inflammatory cytokines and chemokines have not been fully investigated.We simultaneously measured brachial artery (BA) flow-mediated vasodilatation (FMD) and nitroglycerin-mediated vasodilatation (NMD), as well as plasma biomarkers of inflammatory cytokines and chemokines, in patients with hypercholesterolaemia and other atherosclerotic risk factors who were treated with pitavastatin. Sixty-five hypercholesterolaemic patients (age, 66±11 years) with conventional coronary risk factors were enrolled. BA FMD, BA NMD and serum biomarkers (tumour necrosis factor, interleukin (IL)-6, IL-10, monocyte chemoattractant protein-1, IL-8, P-selectin, E-selectin, soluble intercellular cell adhesion molecule-1 (s-ICAM1)) were measured before and after 4 weeks of treatment with pitavastatin (2 mg/day).Pitavastatin treatment resulted in an increase from baseline to post-treatment in FMD (3.22±1.72 vs 3.97±2.18%, p0.05) but not in NMD. Furthermore, pitavastatin treatment led to a decrease from baseline to post-treatment in E-selectin (51±27 vs 46±29 pg/mL, p0.05) and s-ICAM1 (276±86 vs 258±91 pg/mL, p0.05). Changes in FMD in response to pitavastatin treatment did not correlate with those of E-selectin or s-ICAM1.Pitavastatin treatment resulted in a subacute improvement in ECF and a decrease in chemokine levels. These results suggest that pitavastatin might improve long-term outcomes in patients with atherosclerotic disorders.