Effect of atorvastatin treatment on lipoprotein lipase mass in the pre-heparin plasma in Japanese hyperlipidemic subjects.
Atorvastatin is a recently introduced statin that lowers LDL-cholesterol (LDL-C) and triglycerides more than some of the older statins. Twenty-one Japanese hyperlipidemic subjects were treated with atorvastatin (10 mg/day) for 6 weeks. Plasma lipid concentrations and pre-heparin plasma LPL mass before and after oral administration were evaluated using an open crossover trial format. LPL mass in the pre-heparin plasma was measured by a sandwich enzyme immunoassay. Atorvastatin decreased plasma triglyceride (TG) concentration (-21%, p<0.05), as well as plasma total and LDL-cholesterol concentrations. LPL mass in the pre-heparin plasma did not change significantly by this treatment during this period. Both apolipoprotein (apo) B and E decreased considerably (-33%, p<0.001 for apo B; -29% p<0.001 for apo E), while apo A-I concentration did not change. Other clinical parameters such as body mass index, blood pressure, and fasting plasma glucose concentration of these subjects did not change during this treatment. Atorvastatin is effective in reducing plasma TG, which did not appear to be associated with an increased LPL mass.