Lovastatin enhances the susceptibility of LDL cholesterol to oxidation. - GreenMedInfo Summary
Enhanced oxidizability of ubiquinol and alpha-tocopherol during lovastatin treatment.
FEBS Lett. 1997 Jun 30;410(2-3):254-8. PMID: 9237640
Kanta-Häme Central Hospital, Hameenlinna, Finland.
A double-blinded, placebo-controlled cross-over trial was carried out with 27 hypercholesterolemic men with coronary heart disease. During the 6-week treatment period lovastatin (60 mg/day) decreased fasting serum LDL cholesterol by 45%, LDL phosphorus by 38% and apoB by 33%. Ubiquinol content diminished by 13% as measured per LDL phosphorus. When LDL was oxidized ex vivo with AMVN both LDL ubiquinol and alpha-tocopherol were exhausted faster after lovastatin treatment compared to placebo, by 24% (P<0.005) and 36% (P<0.0001), respectively. Lag time in copper-induced oxidation of LDL decreased by 7% (P<0.01). This suggests diminished antioxidant-dependent resistance of LDL to the early phase of oxidative stress.