BACKGROUNDResearches in arterial elasticity have increased over the past few years. We investigated the effects of simvastatin on vascular stiffness in fat fed rabbits by ultrasonography.

METHODSThirty rabbits were assigned randomly to 3 groups: normal control group (A), the cholesterol group (B), simvastatin group (C: high fat diet for 4 weeks and high fat diet + simvastatin for further 4 weeks). Stiffness coefficient, pressure strain elastic modulus and velocity of pulse waves in abdominal aorta and femoral artery were measured by ultrasonographic echo tracking at the end of the 4th and the 8th weeks.

RESULTSAt the end of the 4th week, stiffness coefficient, pressure strain elastic modulus and pulse wave velocity of femoral artery were significantly increased in group B compared with those in group A. Similarly, at the end of the 8th week, the same parameters of abdominal aorta were significantly increased in group B compared with those in group A. In contrast, stiffness coefficient, pressure strain elastic modulus and pulse wave velocity of femoral artery were significantly decreased in group C compared with those in group B, however, there was no significant difference in parameters of abdominal aorta between groups B and C.

CONCLUSIONShort term administration of simvastatin can improve the elasticity of femoral artery but not abdominal aorta.

Animals ; Anticholesteremic Agents ; therapeutic use ; Aorta, Abdominal ; drug effects ; Blood Flow Velocity ; drug effects ; Dietary Fats ; adverse effects ; Femoral Artery ; drug effects ; Rabbits ; Random Allocation ; Simvastatin ; therapeutic use

This paper presents a case of reversible dysphasia occurring in a patient prescribed atorvastatin in combination with indapamide. A milder dysphasia recurred with the prescription of rosuvastatin and was documented on clinical examination. This resolved following cessation of rosuvastatin. The case highlights both a need for a wider understanding of potential drug interactions through the CYP 450 system and for an increased awareness, questioning and reporting of drug side-effects.
Anticholesteremic Agents/adverse effects/*therapeutic use ; Antihypertensive Agents/therapeutic use ; Anxiety/diagnosis ; Aphasia/diagnosis/*etiology ; Cytochrome P-450 Enzyme System/metabolism ; Depression/diagnosis ; Drug Interactions ; Female ; Fluorobenzenes/adverse effects/*therapeutic use ; Heptanoic Acids/adverse effects/*therapeutic use ; Humans ; Hypercholesterolemia/drug therapy ; Indapamide/therapeutic use ; Middle Aged ; Pyrimidines/adverse effects/*therapeutic use ; Pyrroles/adverse effects/*therapeutic use ; Sulfonamides/adverse effects/*therapeutic use

OBJECTIVESThis study was designed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of rosuvastatin on treating Chinese patients with hypercholesterolemia.

METHODSThis randomized double-blind multi-center study enrolled the patients with LDL-C > or = 160 mg/dL but < 250 mg/dL and TG < 400 mg/dL after six-week dietary run-in. Patients were randomized to receive either rosuvastatin 10 mg/d (R) or atorvastatin (A) 10 mg/d in 2:1 ratio for 12 weeks. Patients with LDL-C levels not reaching goal defined by ATP III guideline in R group were titrated to 20 mg for additional 8 weeks.

RESULTSAltogether, 304 patients were included in the study, 201 patients in R group and 103 in A group. The ITT population is 290 and PP is 263. The LDL-C level decreased after 12 weeks in R group than that in A group, (45.6% vs 39.0%, P < 0.001). The rate reaching the target level defined by ATP III in R group tended to be higher than that in A group (78.0% vs 72.7%), especially in patients with high risk (56.5% vs 35%), however the difference did not reach statistical significance. The magnitudes of TG reduction (-22.8%), HDL-C (+6.6%) and ApoA-1 increase (+12.5%) in R group had no significant difference compared to those in A group (-16.6%, +4.3% and +9.8%, respectively). 29 patients were titrated to receive 20 mg of rosuvastatin. 10 of 22 patients reached the LDL-C target. There were no drug related SAE found during the study.

CONCLUSIONSThe efficacy of rosuvastatin in reducing LDL-C is more effective than atorvastatin in the same dose, however, the safety data is similar between them in the period of 3-month follow-up.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Anticholesteremic Agents ; therapeutic use ; Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; Atorvastatin Calcium ; Double-Blind Method ; Female ; Fluorobenzenes ; adverse effects ; therapeutic use ; Heptanoic Acids ; therapeutic use ; Humans ; Hypercholesterolemia ; drug therapy ; Hypolipidemic Agents ; therapeutic use ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Pyrimidines ; adverse effects ; therapeutic use ; Pyrroles ; therapeutic use ; Rosuvastatin Calcium ; Sulfonamides ; adverse effects ; therapeutic use ; Young Adult

Aged ; Androgen Antagonists/adverse effects* ; Anticholesteremic Agents/therapeutic use* ; Cholesterol, HDL/blood* ; Cholesterol, LDL/blood* ; Humans ; Hypercholesterolemia/chemically induced* ; Lipids/blood* ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Prostatic Neoplasms/therapy* ; Retrospective Studies ; Testosterone/blood*

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of probucol and losartan on the prevention of restenosis after balloon angioplasty in hypercholesterolaemic rabbits, and to examine the expression of growth factors. METHODS: Forty male New Zealand white rabbits were randomly divided into high cholesterol diet group, probucol group, losartan group and combined drugs group. After one week of diet, all rabbits were injured on iliac arteries with balloon. Four weeks after the injury, the morphology of the iliac arteries of the rabbits were observed, and the insulin-like growth factor-I receptor (IGF-IR) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) were examined by immunohistochemical methods. RESULTS: Compared with the high cholesterol diet group, the lumen areas of the probucol group, losartan group and combined drugs group were larger (P < 0.01), the intimal areas were smaller (P < 0.05), and the expression of IGF-IR and VEGF significantly decreased (P < 0.05). There was no statistically significant difference among the three groups. CONCLUSION Probucol and losartan can prevent the restenosis of rabbits' iliac artery from balloon injury, and inhibit the expression of IGF-IR and VEGF. There is no statistical difference between combined drugs and single drug administration.
Angioplasty, Balloon ; adverse effects ; Animals ; Anticholesteremic Agents ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Coronary Restenosis ; prevention & control ; Drug Therapy, Combination ; Hypercholesterolemia ; therapy ; Losartan ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Male ; Probucol ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Rabbits ; Random Allocation ; Receptor, IGF Type 1 ; biosynthesis ; genetics ; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A ; biosynthesis ; genetics