To date, malignant pheochromocytomas and paragangliomas (PHEOs/PGLs) cannot be effectively cured and thus novel treatment strategies are urgently needed. Lovastatin has been shown to effectively induce apoptosis in mouse PHEO cells (MPC) and the more aggressive mouse tumor tissue-derived cells (MTT), which was accompanied by decreased phosphorylation of mitogen-activated kinase (MAPK) pathway p...

OBJECTIVES We sought to examine the association of apolipoprotein (apo) E genotypes with baseline plasma lipid levels and severity of coronary artery disease (CAD), as well as the response to treatment with fluvastatin in the Lipoprotein and Coronary Atherosclerosis Study (LCAS). BACKGROUND Apo E genotypes have been associated with plasma lipid levels and CAD. However, the influence of apo E ...

In the early drug discovery process, metabolic stability and cytochrome P450 inhibition are often used as an early selection tool to identify useful compounds for further development. The reliability of the data in this process is therefore crucial. In the present study, in vitro enzyme kinetic data were used to predict the in vivo clearance and drug-drug interaction potential of four well know...

BACKGROUND Impaired endothelium-dependent vasodilation is an early sign of atherosclerosis in hypercholesterolemic patients. We hypothesized that lipid-lowering therapy can improve endothelial function and that this effect is mainly mediated by increased bioavailability of nitric oxide (NO). METHODS AND RESULTS In a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, we studied 29 patients (a...

2005;366:1267e78. 4. Schouten O, Boersma E, Hoeks SE, et al. Fluvastatin and perioperative events in patients undergoing vascular surgery. N Engl J Med 2009;361:980e9. 5. Ridker PM, Rifai N, Pfeffer MA, et al. Inflammation, pravastatin, and the risk of coronary events after myocardial infarction in patients with average cholesterol levels. Cholesterol and Recurrent Events (CARE) Investigators. ...

Statins are the treatment of choice for the management of hypercholesterolaemia because of their proven efficacy and safety profile. They also have an increasing role in managing cardiovascular risk in patients with relatively normal levels of plasma cholesterol. Although all statins share a common mechanism of action, they differ in terms of their chemical structures, pharmacokinetic profiles,...

B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) is a cardiac hormone, which plays a major role in body fluid and cardiovascular homeostasis. Produced by cardiac ventricles, its expression is highly regulated by various mediators. Canine cardiac fibroblasts have been identified as a source of BNP. Cardiac fibroblasts are key regulators of myocardial structure and function. We treated cultured human adult cardi...

Those with diabetes invariably develop complications including cardiovascular disease (CVD). To reduce their CVD risk, diabetics are generally prescribed cholesterol-lowering 3-hydroxy-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase inhibitors (i.e., statins). Statins inhibit cholesterol biosynthesis, but also reduce the synthesis of a number of mevalonate pathway intermediates, leading to several choleste...

BACKGROUND Lipid-lowering therapy can improve endothelial function in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) and hypercholesterolemia. Little is known about induced changes in myocardial microcirculation. This study prospectively investigated the temporal effects of lipid-lowering therapy with fluvastatin on coronary flow and flow reserve (CFR) in patients with CAD assessed by PET. METHO...