TY - JOUR
T1 - A HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor improved regression of atherosclerosis in the rabbit aorta without affecting serum lipid levels
T2 - Possible relevance of up-regulation of endothelial NO synthase mRNA
AU - Kano, Hatsuyo
AU - Hayashi, Toshio
AU - Sumi, Daigo
AU - Esaki, Teiji
AU - Asai, Yukako
AU - Thakur, Navin Kumar
AU - Jayachandran, Muthuvel
AU - Iguchi, Akihisa
N1 - Funding Information:
This study was supported in part by Grant-in-Aid 09470166 of the Japanese ministry of Education. We thank Yurie Kato and Norie Kametsuta for their excellent technical assistance.
PY - 1999/6/7
Y1 - 1999/6/7
N2 - We determined the role of Fluvastatin: HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor on the regression of atherosclerosis following removal of dietary cholesterol. Male rabbits fed a 0.5% cholesterol diet for 12 weeks were divided into three groups: A1, hypercholesterolemic; A2, fed a regular diet for an 12 additional weeks; and A3, fed a regular diet with fluvastatin (2 mg/kg/day). Fluvastatin treatment (A3) did not affect serum lipid levels compared with A2. However, it decreased the atherosclerotic area in the aortic arch and decreased total and esterified cholesterol concentrations in the descending aorta. Tone-related basal NO release in the thoracic aorta was larger in A3 than in A2. eNOS mRNA in vessel was determined by competitive RT-PCR assay. It increased in A1, compared with normal aorta and decreased in A2; however, it did not decrease in A3. This is the first report of a decrease in eNOS mRNA in atherosclerosis after removal of dietary cholesterol and a reversal of it by a HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor, which may contribute to the regression of atherosclerosis.
AB - We determined the role of Fluvastatin: HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor on the regression of atherosclerosis following removal of dietary cholesterol. Male rabbits fed a 0.5% cholesterol diet for 12 weeks were divided into three groups: A1, hypercholesterolemic; A2, fed a regular diet for an 12 additional weeks; and A3, fed a regular diet with fluvastatin (2 mg/kg/day). Fluvastatin treatment (A3) did not affect serum lipid levels compared with A2. However, it decreased the atherosclerotic area in the aortic arch and decreased total and esterified cholesterol concentrations in the descending aorta. Tone-related basal NO release in the thoracic aorta was larger in A3 than in A2. eNOS mRNA in vessel was determined by competitive RT-PCR assay. It increased in A1, compared with normal aorta and decreased in A2; however, it did not decrease in A3. This is the first report of a decrease in eNOS mRNA in atherosclerosis after removal of dietary cholesterol and a reversal of it by a HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor, which may contribute to the regression of atherosclerosis.
KW - Arteriosclerosis
KW - Endothelial nitric oxide synthase mRNA
KW - Hypercholesterolemia
KW - Nitric oxide
KW - Regression
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U2 - 10.1006/bbrc.1999.0799
DO - 10.1006/bbrc.1999.0799
M3 - Article
C2 - 10362523
AN - SCOPUS:0033532524
SN - 0006-291X
VL - 259
SP - 414
EP - 419
JO - Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications
JF - Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications
IS - 2
ER -