An ex vivo Study of Foam Cell Formation and Cholesterol Clearance in Macrophages Isolated from Patients with Hypertriglyceridemia and Low High-Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol Treated with High-Dose Simvastatin

High-density lipoproteins (HDL) are thought to be cardioprotective due to their role in decreasing cholesterol accumulation and in enhancing cholesterol removal from foam cells. Our study will examine foam cell formation and HDL-mediated cholesterol removal from macrophages isolated from patients with hypertriglyceridemia and low HDL. Peripheral blood monocytes and lipoproteins will be isolated from donors before and after 6–12 weeks on high-dose simvastatin (80 mg). The isolated lipoproteins from each donor will be incubated with their own macrophages for the study of foam cell formation and HDL-mediated cholesterol efflux. We expect to show that simvastatin increases HDL cholesterol, decreases triglyceride levels, and is associated with less foam cell formation and greater HDL-mediated cholesterol clear-