Anti-Inflammatory and Monocyte-Suppressing Effects of Simvastatin in Patients with Impaired Fasting Glucose

Abstract

Abstract: The aim of our study was to compare the effect of simvastatin on systemic inflammation and monocyte secretory function between individuals with impaired fasting glucose (IFG) and patients with isolated hypercholesterolaemia. The study included 25 patients with IFG and 23 patients with hypercholesterolaemia. The lipid profile, fasting and 2-hr post-glucose load plasma glucose levels, homeostatic model assessment (HOMA) ratio, glycated haemoglobin, plasma high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) levels and monocyte release of TNF-α, interleukin-1β, interleukin-6 and MCP-1 were assessed at baseline, and after 30 and 90 days of simvastatin treatment (20 mg/daily). Compared to monocytes of the control patients (22 age-, sex- and weight-matched patients without lipid and glucose metabolism abnormalities), monocytes of the patients with hypercholesterolaemia and patients with IFG released greater amounts of all studied cytokines and exhibited higher plasma levels of hsCRP, with no difference between the two groups of patients. Although in both the patients with hypercholesterolaemia and the patients with IFG simvastatin treatment improved lipid profile, it exhibited no effect on glucose metabolism markers. The drug markedly reduced plasma hsCRP and monocyte secretion of TNF-α, interleukin-1β, interleukin-6 and MCP-1 in a lipid- and glucose-independent manner. Our results indicate that low-grade systemic inflammation and monocyte secretory function are disturbed to a similar degree in the patients with isolated hypercholesterolaemia and in the patients with IFG. They also show that simvastatin is an effective anti-inflammatory drug in patients with isolated early glucose metabolism abnormalities. © 2010 The Authors. Basic & Clinical Pharmacology & Toxicology © 2010 Nordic Pharmacological Society.