Objectives: Statins have been reported to suppress the progression of abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA). However, the effects of statins on inflammatory processes and free radicals generation are poorly understood.
Methods: Wall samples from 51 patients (simvastatin patients, n = 34; non-statin patients, n = 17; matched by sex, age and aneurysm size) subjected to elective open AAA repair were analysed. We examined the effects of simvastatin on lipid peroxidation (4-hydroxy-trans-2-nonenal (4-HNE)), hydrogen peroxide (H(2)O(2)), tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) concentration, superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) activity as well as nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) pathway activation in human AAA wall samples.
Results: Treatment with simvastatin resulted in a decrease in 4-HNE and TNF-α concentration (median 4.18 μg/mg protein vs. 4.75, p = 0.012; median 10.33 pg/ml vs. 11.81, p = 0.026, respectively). CAT activity was higher in the simvastatin group (median 3.98 U ml vs. 3.19, p = 0.023). NF-κB expression was lower (p = 0.018) in the simvastatin group. However, simvastatin had little effect on H(2)O(2) concentration (p = 0.832) and SOD activity (p = 0.401).
Conclusion: Simvastatin inhibits free radicals and TNF-α generation and improves antioxidant capacity of human AAA wall tissue, possibly through the suppression of NF-κB activity. This may be one possible explanation how statins can inhibit AAA oxidative stress.
Copyright © 2012 European Society for Vascular Surgery. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.