The influence of statins on the free intracellular calcium concentration in human umbilical vein endothelial cells

BMC Cardiovascular Disorders

Stefan H Heinemann¹  Hans R Figulla²  Gero Schwarz²  Stephan Heinke² 

[1] Unit Molecular and Cellular Biophysics Med. Faculty of the Friedrich Schiller University Jena Drackendorfer St. 1, D-07747 Jena, Germany;Clinics for Internal Medicine I Med. Faculty of the Friedrich Schiller University Jena Erlanger Allee 101, D-07747 Jena, Germany

关键词: Arteriosclerosis.;    Hydroxymethylglutaryl CoA Reductase Inhibitors;    Nitric Oxide;    Free Intracelluar Calcium;    Endothelium;   

Others  :  1088605
DOI  :  10.1186/1471-2261-4-4

 received in 2003-10-05, accepted in 2004-05-04,  发布年份 2004

【 摘 要 】

Background

Statins are cholesterol-lowering drugs that are widely used to reduce the risk of cardiac infarction. Their beneficial clinical effects, however, are not restricted to their influence on cholesterol production. As several studies have shown that they have a potency of relaxing blood vessels.

Methods

We measured the effects of statins on the intracellular free calcium concentration ([Ca²⁺]_i) in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) after acute application and 24-h-preincubation of statins.

Results

Incubation of the cells for 24 h with cerivastatin or fluvastatin significantly increased the resting [Ca²⁺]_i. For cerivastatin this effect manifested at a concentration of 1 μM. Increase of resting [Ca²⁺]_i in the presence of cerivastatin also occurred when the nitric oxide synthase was inhibited. Transient Ca²⁺ release induced by histamine was not affected.

Conclusions

The increase of resting [Ca²⁺]_i after incubation with cerivastatin or fluvastatin may provide an explanation for the direct effects of statins on the endothelial-dependent vasodilatation and restoration of endothelial activity in vivo.

【 授权许可】

   
2004 Heinke et al; licensee BioMed Central Ltd. This is an Open Access article: verbatim copying and redistribution of this article are permitted in all media for any purpose, provided this notice is preserved along with the article's original URL.

【 图 表 】

Figure 1.

Figure 2.

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