Pitavastatin Decreases Plasma Preβ1-HDL Concentration and Might Promote its Disappearance Rate in Hypercholesterolemic Patients

Abstract

Aim: Preβ1-HDL is involved in the initial step of cholesterol efflux from peripheral cells and plays an important role in reverse cholesterol transport. We studied the effect of pitavastatin on the HDL subfraction profile, preβ1-HDL concentration and its disappearance rate.
Methods: Twenty-nine hypercholesterolemic patients were treated with pitavastatin at 2 mg/day for 4 weeks, and plasma levels of total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride, HDL-cholesterol (C), HDL₂-C, HDL₃-C, preβ1-HDL, LCAT activity, and CETP mass were assayed. The preβ1-HDL disappearance rate was determined as the difference in preβ1-HDL concentration before and after incubation at 37°C for 90 min divided by the pre-incubation preβ1-HDL concentration.
Results: Pitavastatin led to significant decreases in TC by 26.9% and LDL-C by 39.8%. HDL-C and HDL₂-C increased significantly by 6.0% and 9.0%, respectively, but there was no significant change in HDL₃-C. Preβ1-HDL concentration significantly decreased (-8.7%; p<0.05); however, its disappearance rate significantly increased (13.0%; p<0.05). There were significant decreases in both LCAT activity and CETP mass.
Conclusion: Although pitavastatin decreased plasma preβ1-HDL concentration, it increased the preβ1-HDL disappearance rate. These data suggest that pitavastatin might promote the early step of reverse cholesterol transport.