Cholesterol synthesis inhibitors and fibrates both exercise effects that could influence BP and renal function in hypertension. To test this issue, transit-time ultrasound flow probes, implanted optical fibers, and laser-Doppler flowmetry were used for measurements of total and regional renal blood flows in lovastatin (40 mg/kg body wt) and bezafibrate (50 mg/kg body wt) chronically treated deo...

BACKGROUND Although lovastatin production has been reported for different microorganism species, there is limited information about lovastatin production by basidiomycetes. AIMS The optimization of culture parameters that enhances lovastatin production by Omphalotus olearius OBCC 2002 was investigated, using statistically based experimental designs under solid state fermentation. METHODS Th...

Patients with familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) have had a life-long sustained elevation of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol levels. Consequently, there is a need to maximally lower their elevated levels, and this usually requires lowering LDL levels more than 50%. Because no single hypolipidemic drug will consistently produce such degrees of lowering, combination drug therapy with tw...

The activity of lovastatin associated with oxamniquine or praziquantel against schistosomiasis mansoni was evaluated in mice infected with Schistosoma mansoni. Forty days after infection, mice were treated with lovastatin, 400 mg/kg for five consecutive days by oral route, and on the last day of this sequence with 50 mg/kg oxamniquine or with 200 mg/kg praziquantel, both by oral route, single d...

OBJECTIVE The stem cell theory in the endometriosis provides an advanced avenue of targeting these cells as a novel therapy to eliminate endometriosis. In this regard, studies showed that lovastatin alters the cells from a stem-like state to more differentiated condition and reduces stemness. The aim of this study was to investigate whether lovastatin treatment could influence expression and me...

We investigated the hypocholesterolemic effects of lovastatin alone and in combination with gemfibrozil on plasma lipids and lipoproteins in 12 adult patients with well-characterized heterozygous familial hypercholesterolemia. Plasma concentrations of low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol decreased from 321 +/- 14 mg/dl on diet only to 207 +/- 8 mg/dl (-35.5%) on single-drug therapy with lo...

BACKGROUND Combination therapy to improve the total lipid profile may achieve greater coronary risk reductions than lowering low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) alone. A new extended-release niacin (niacin ER)/lovastatin tablet substantially lowers LDL-C, triglyceride, and lipoprotein(a) levels and raises high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) level. We evaluated these serum lipid...

PURPOSE 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl CoA reductase inhibitors (statins) are frequently used lipid-lowering drugs. Moreover, they are reported to exert pleiotropic effects on cellular stress responses, proliferation, and apoptosis. Whether statins affect the sensitivity of primary human cells to ionizing radiation (IR) is still unknown. The present study aims at answering this question. EXPERIME...

PURPOSE To investigate the biochemical mechanisms involved in the cataract induced by lovastatin, a commonly used cholesterol-lowering agent. METHODS The effects of lovastatin on lens transparency and on lens epithelial cell proliferation and structure have been investigated using organ-cultured rat lenses and cultured epithelial cells from human and rabbit lenses, respectively. Lens histolog...

Statins are among the most prescribed drugs in recent clinical practice. They are also known for their pleiotropic actions, which are independent of their lipid-lowering properties. The effect of lovastatin was investigated against carrageenan-induced paw edema in male Wistar rats (200-250 g) and on leukocyte migration, as measured by carrageenan-induced peritonitis in male Swiss mice (20-25 g)...