Evidence that niacin inhibits acute vascular inflammation and improves endothelial dysfunction independent of changes in plasma lipids.

OBJECTIVE To determine if niacin can confer cardiovascular benefit by inhibiting vascular inflammation and improving endothelial function independent of changes in plasma lipid and lipoprotein levels. METHODS AND RESULTS New Zealand white rabbits received normal chow or chow supplemented with 0.6% or 1.2% (wt/wt) niacin. This regimen had no effect on plasma cholesterol, triglyceride, or high-density lipoprotein levels. Acute vascular inflammation and endothelial dysfunction were induced in the animals with a periarterial carotid collar. At the 24-hour postcollar implantation, the endothelial expression of vascular cell adhesion molecule-1, intercellular adhesion molecule-1, and monocyte chemotactic protein-1 was markedly decreased in the niacin-supplemented animals compared with controls. Niacin also inhibited intima-media neutrophil recruitment and myeloperoxidase accumulation, enhanced endothelial-dependent vasorelaxation and cyclic guanosine monophosphate production, increased vascular reduced glutathione content, and protected against hypochlorous acid-induced endothelial dysfunction and tumor necrosis factor alpha-induced vascular inflammation. CONCLUSION Previous human intervention studies have demonstrated that niacin inhibits coronary artery disease. This benefit is thought to be because of its ability to reduce low-density lipoprotein and plasma triglyceride levels and increase high-density lipoprotein levels. The present study showed that niacin inhibits vascular inflammation and protects against endothelial dysfunction independent of these changes in plasma lipid levels.