Rosuvastatin and Renal Endothelial Function

Summary

The endothelium plays an important role in the regulation of vascular tone and regulation of blood flow. Nitric oxide (NO) is the most important known endothelium-derived vasodilating factor. Prospective studies have shown that hypercholesterolemia impairs endothelial function in different vascular beds. Lowering total cholesterol and particularly LDL-cholesterol with statins leads to an improvement in endothelium-dependent vasodilation in the forearm vasculature. There is strong evidence to suggest that the benefit is not merely related to the decrease in cholesterol-levels. A recent study in the forearm vasculature demonstrated that short-term lipid-lowering therapy improves endothelial function and NO availability already after 3 days of lipid lowering therapy. Whether endothelial function in the renal vasculature of hypercholesterolemic patients is similarly influenced has not yet been addressed adequately. In the present study we investigate whether lipid lowering therapy with rosuvastatin alters renal endothelial function, as assessed by systemic infusion of the NO synthase inhibitor L-NMMA, after 3 and 42 days of therapy.

Timeline

Start

—

Primary completion

—

Completion

2006-09

Publications

• Results Ott C, Schlaich MP, Schmidt BM, Titze SI, Schaufele T, Schmieder RE. Rosuvastatin improves basal nitric oxide activity of the renal vasculature in patients with hypercholesterolemia. Atherosclerosis. 2008 Feb;196(2):704-11. doi: 10.1016/j.atherosclerosis.2006.12.020. Epub 2007 Feb 12.
• Results Ott C, Ritt M, Titze SI, Schaufele T, Schmieder RE. Rosuvastatin does not affect intrarenal hemodynamics in patients with hypercholesterolemia. J Nephrol. 2009 Sep-Oct;22(5):675-81.
• Results Ott C, Schneider MP, Schlaich MP, Schmieder RE. Rosuvastatin improves pulse wave reflection by restoring endothelial function. Microvasc Res. 2012 Jul;84(1):60-4. doi: 10.1016/j.mvr.2012.03.007. Epub 2012 Mar 29.
• Results Ott C, Raff U, Schneider MP, Titze SI, Schmieder RE. 25-hydroxyvitamin D insufficiency is associated with impaired renal endothelial function and both are improved with rosuvastatin treatment. Clin Res Cardiol. 2013 Apr;102(4):299-304. doi: 10.1007/s00392-012-0534-1. Epub 2012 Dec 21.

Drugs

Indications