Coronary artery disease (CAD) is the leading cause of death worldwide. The efficacy and safety of statins (3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme A reductase inhibitors) in primary and secondary prevention of CAD are confirmed in several large studies. It is well known that statins have some pleiotropic, anti-atherosclerotic effects. We review the molecular mechanisms underlying the beneficial effects of statins revealed in recently published studies. Endothelial cell injury is regarded as the classic stimulus for the development of atherosclerotic lesions. In addition, the inflammatory process plays an important role in the aetiology of atherosclerosis. In particular, chronic inflammation plays a key role in coronary artery plaque instability and subsequent occlusive thrombosis. Our previous reports and others have demonstrated beneficial effects of statins on endothelial dysfunction and chronic inflammation in CAD. A better understanding of the molecular mechanism underlying the effectiveness of statins against atherosclerosis may provide a novel therapeutic agent for the treatment of coronary atherosclerosis. The present review summarizes the cellular and molecular mechanism of statins against coronary atherosclerosis.
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Review Article|
April 24 2015
Cellular and molecular mechanisms of statins: an update on pleiotropic effects
Mamoru Satoh;
*Division of Biomedical Information Analysis, Institute for Biomedical Sciences, Iwate Medical University, Iwate, Japan
Correspondence: Mamoru Satoh (email [email protected]).
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Yuji Takahashi;
Yuji Takahashi
†Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine, Iwate Medical University School of Medicine, Iwate, Japan
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Tsuyoshi Tabuchi;
Tsuyoshi Tabuchi
‡Division of Cardioangiology, Nephrology and Endocrinology, Iwate Medical University School of Medicine, Iwate, Japan
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Yoshitaka Minami;
Yoshitaka Minami
‡Division of Cardioangiology, Nephrology and Endocrinology, Iwate Medical University School of Medicine, Iwate, Japan
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Makiko Tamada;
Makiko Tamada
‡Division of Cardioangiology, Nephrology and Endocrinology, Iwate Medical University School of Medicine, Iwate, Japan
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Kan Takahashi;
Kan Takahashi
†Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine, Iwate Medical University School of Medicine, Iwate, Japan
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Tomonori Itoh;
Tomonori Itoh
†Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine, Iwate Medical University School of Medicine, Iwate, Japan
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Yoshihiro Morino;
Yoshihiro Morino
†Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine, Iwate Medical University School of Medicine, Iwate, Japan
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Motoyuki Nakamura
Motoyuki Nakamura
‡Division of Cardioangiology, Nephrology and Endocrinology, Iwate Medical University School of Medicine, Iwate, Japan
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Publisher: Portland Press Ltd
Received:
January 05 2015
Revision Received:
February 23 2015
Accepted:
March 02 2015
Online ISSN: 1470-8736
Print ISSN: 0143-5221
© The Authors Journal compilation © 2015 Biochemical Society
2015
Clin Sci (Lond) (2015) 129 (2): 93–105.
Article history
Received:
January 05 2015
Revision Received:
February 23 2015
Accepted:
March 02 2015
Citation
Mamoru Satoh, Yuji Takahashi, Tsuyoshi Tabuchi, Yoshitaka Minami, Makiko Tamada, Kan Takahashi, Tomonori Itoh, Yoshihiro Morino, Motoyuki Nakamura; Cellular and molecular mechanisms of statins: an update on pleiotropic effects. Clin Sci (Lond) 1 July 2015; 129 (2): 93–105. doi: https://doi.org/10.1042/CS20150027
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