25-Hydroxyvitamin D insufficiency is associated with impaired renal endothelial function and both are improved with rosuvastatin treatment.
Clin Res Cardiol. 2012 Dec 21.
Ott C, Raff U, Schneider MP, Titze SI, Schmieder RE.
Department of Nephrology and Hypertension, University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, Ulmenweg 18, 91054, Erlangen, Germany.
BACKGROUND:
Vitamin D deficiency is nowadays considered as a potential cardiovascular and renal risk factor. We tested the hypotheses that vitamin D deficiency impairs the endothelial function of renal vasculature and whether vitamin D levels and endothelial function can be improved by the treatment with statins.
METHODS:
In a double-blind, randomized study of 31 hypercholesterolemic patients with vitamin D insufficiency (<30 ng/ml) were randomly assigned to rosuvastatin (10 mg/d) and placebo for 6 weeks. Basal nitric oxide (NO) activity of the renal vasculature was assessed both before and after the blockade of NO synthases with systemic infusion of N(G)-monomethyl-L-arginine (L-NMMA). In parallel, 25(OH)D was measured.
RESULTS:
Multiple regression analysis revealed that at baseline 25(OH)D is an independent determinant of basal NO activity as assessed by the decrease in RPF, in response to L-NMMA (β = -0.446, r = 0.015). Compared to placebo treatment, rosuvastatin increased 25(OH)D levels (21.6 ± 4.0 vs. 24.1 ± 8.1 ng/ml, p = 0.039). Basal NO activity was significantly more increased after 6-week therapy with rosuvastatin than with placebo (-94.8 ± 70 vs. -68.2 ± 32 ml/min, p = 0.044), indicating increased basal NOS activity after 6 weeks of rosuvastatin treatment. Basal NO activity in the placebo phase was correlated inversely with 25(OH)D (r = -0.385; p = 0.027).
CONCLUSIONS:
Thus, vitamin D insufficiency is associated with impaired endothelial function in the renal vasculature and both were beneficially influenced by the treatment with rosuvastatin.
PMID: 23262496