Among nine strains of rat, two were found that responded to phenobarbital treatment with increased activity of hepatic cholesterol 7a-hydroxylase. This effect was maximal after 2-3 days of treatment and was then reduced. Interestingly the increased cholesterol 7a-hydroxylase activity was associated with increased activity of hepatic HMG-CoA reductase in the two responding strains but not in the...

Pleiotropic effects are now described for the 3-hydroxy-3methylglutaryl-coenzyme A reductase inhibitors (or statins) that might have utility in the context of chronic inflammatory autoimmune disease. Here we discuss the pharmacology and established uses of statins and in this context describe potential anti-inflammatory and immune-modulatory effects. An extensive in vitro data set defines roles...

Experimental Evidence for a Role of Dyslipidemia in Renal Injury and for a Renal Protective Effect of Statins T he presence of lipids in renal cells upregulates intracellular signaling pathways involved in inflammatory and fibrogenic responses, both of which are components of progressive renal injury. Lipids activate various growth factors that cause mesangial cell proliferation. Mesangial cell...

Seventeen hours after a single oral dose of the cyclic monoterpenes cineole or menthol, rat liver 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A (HMG-CoA) reductase activity was inhibited by up to 70%. The transient nature of this effect (no inhibition 41 h after dosing) was compatible with the rapid metabolism and excretion of these terpenes. Neither menthol, and its major metabolite, menthylglucuronid...

Assay of HMG-CoA reductase kinase activity requires HMG-CoA reductase (reductase, E.C. 1.1.1.34) free of associated reductase kinase. Microsomal reductase insensitive to inactivation by Mg-nucleotides alone may be prepared by heating microsomes at 50 degrees C for 15 min. The reductase in these microsomes may subsequently be inactivated by Mg-nucleotides only after addition of reductase kinase....

Statins are the group of lipid lowering drugs commonly used to control cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. Statins have structure similar to 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-CoA (HMG-CoA)reductase and competitively inhibits HMG-CoA reductase, which is the rate-limiting step in the mevalonate pathway, thereby reducing blood cholesterol levels. Statins have potential anti-inflammatory effect. ...

Replication of hepatitis C virus (HCV) is regulated by statin, one of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl CoA reducatase (HMG CoA reductase) inhibitors that block mevalonate pathway and cholesterol biosyntheis, which has been used usefully for health improvement and disease control in clinic. In order to know which statin can be used to inhibit HCV replication, we examined the effects of HCV genotype 1b...

Inflammation and oxidative stress are believed to contribute to the pathology of several chronic diseases including hypercholesterolemia (elevated levels of cholesterol in blood) and atherosclerosis. HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors of plant origin are needed as synthetic drugs, such as statins, which are known to cause adverse effects on the liver and muscles. Amaranthus viridis (A. viridis) has b...

Inhibitors of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A (HMG-CoA) reductase ameliorate atherosclerosis by both cholesterol-dependent and cholesterol-independent mechanisms. We examined whether HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors affect the expression and activity of inducible NO synthase (iNOS) in cultured rat aortic vascular smooth muscle (VSM) cells. Atorvastatin (34 to 68 micromol/L) markedly increased...