ENHANCED OXIDIZABILITY OF UBIQUINOL AND ALPHA-TOCOPHEROL DURING LOVASTATIN TREATMENT

A double-blinded, placebo-controlled cross-over trial was carried out with 27 hypercholesterolemic men with coronary heart disease. During t he 6-week treatment period lovastatin (60 mg/day) decreased fasting se rum LDL cholesterol by 45%, LDL phosphorus by 38% and apoB by 33%, Ubi quinol content diminished by 13% as measured per LDL phosphorus. When LDL was oxidized ex vivo with AMVN both LDL ubiquinol and a-tocopherol were exhausted faster after lovastatin treatment compared to placebo, by 24% (P < 0.005) and 36% (P < 0.0001), respectively. Lag time in co pper-induced oxidation of LDL decreased by 7% (P < 0.01), This suggest s diminished antioxidant-dependent resistance of LDL to the early phas e of oxidative stress. (C) 1997 Federation of European Biochemical Soc ieties.