Atherogenic Impact of Homocysteine: Can HMG-CoA Reductase Inhibitors Additionally Influence Hyperhomocysteinaemia?

• Main Authors: Nikolic Tamara, Srejovic Ivan, Stojic Isidora, Jeremic Jovana, Folic Marko, Matic Stevan, Rakocevic Milena, Jancic Snezana, Jakovljevic Biljana, Obrenovic Radmila, Djuric Dusan, Zivkovic Vladimir
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Sciendo 2019-06-01
• Series: Serbian Journal of Experimental and Clinical Research
• Subjects: atherogenic index; hyperhomocysteinaemia; liver; hmg-coa reductase inhibitors
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.1515/sjecr-2017-0055

The strong association among the risk of coronary artery diseases (CAD), high levels of LDL-C and low levels of HDLC is well established. Hyperhomocysteinaemia (HHcy) is an independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD) and causes endothelial dysfunction, a hallmark of atherosclerosis. In this study, we ascertained the influence of statins on the atherogenic index, as an indicator and a significant adjunct for predicting atherosclerosis in hyperhomocysteinaemic male Wistar albino rats. For 4 weeks, the animals were fed with one of the following diets (Mucedola SRL., Milan, Italy): standard rodent chow; a diet enriched in methionine with no deficiency in B vitamins or a diet enriched in methio-nine and deficient in B vitamins. The animals were simultaneously exposed to a pharmacology treatment with atorvastatin at dose of 3 mg/kg/day i.p. or simvastatin, at dose of 5 mg/kg/day i.p. We measured weight gain, food intake, and FER and determined the concentrations of biochemical parameters of dyslipidaemia (TC, TGs, LDL-C, VLDL-C, and HDL-C), AI, and CRR. A histopathological examination was conducted on portions of the right and left liver lobes from each animal. A connection between Hhcy and dyslipidaemia was indicated by the findings of biochemical and histological analyses, suggesting that Hhcy was a pro-atherogenic state. An improvement in the lipid profile along with a decrease in the atherogenic index by statins suggests that atorvastatin and simvastatin could be useful antiatherogenic agents, with protective activities during hyperhomocysteinaemia.