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Effects of Simvastatin on Proinflammatory Cytokines and Matrix Metalloproteinases in Hypercholesterolemic Individuals

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Abstract

Statins are potent lipid-lowering drugs but anti-inflammatory effects have also been suggested. Our aim was to investigate the effects of simvastatin on proinflammatory cytokines and matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs). Eighty hypercholesterolemic men were randomized to simvastatin 40 mg or placebo for 6 weeks. Simvastatin treatment significantly reduced C-reactive protein (CRP) levels while interleukin (IL)-6 levels remained unchanged. The ex vivo release of IL-1β and IL-6 was not altered by simvastatin, whereas the release of TNF-α and IL-8 increased after 6 weeks of simvastatin treatment. Similarly, the circulating levels of MMP-3 and TIMP-1 remained unaffected by simvastatin while MMP-9 increased. However, none of the effects except for the CRP reduction within the simvastatin group reached statistical significance when compared to the placebo group. Our findings are in contrast to previous in vitro and animal data and question the in vivo relevance of some of the pleiotropic effects of simvastatin.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Department of Medical and Health Sciences, Linköping University, 58185, Linköping, Sweden

    Lennart Nilsson & Lena Jonasson

  2. Atherosclerosis Research Unit, Center for Molecular Medicine, Department of Medicine, Karolinska Institute, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden

    Per Eriksson

  3. Department of Medicine, Högland Hospital, Eksjö, Sweden

    Pierre Cherfan

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  1. Lennart Nilsson
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  4. Lena Jonasson
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Correspondence to Lennart Nilsson.

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Nilsson, L., Eriksson, P., Cherfan, P. et al. Effects of Simvastatin on Proinflammatory Cytokines and Matrix Metalloproteinases in Hypercholesterolemic Individuals. Inflammation 34, 225–230 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10753-010-9227-y

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