Effect of statin administration on the inflammatory response of monocytes in patients with atherosclerosis

Currently, statins are the main preparations of anti-atherosclerotic therapy due to a number of effects that reduce the progression of atherosclerosis, including anti-inflammatory effectiveness. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the inflammatory response of monocytes in patients with severe atherosclerosis during therapy with hydrophilic and lipophilic statins, as well as in patients with atherosclerosis not receiving lipid-lowering therapy. A total of 60 patients with severe atherosclerosis of the coronary arteries were included in the study in three groups: 1) receiving atovastatin therapy for at least 12 months before inclusion in the study, n = 20; 2) receiving rosuvastatin therapy for at least 12 months before inclusion in the study, n = 20; and 3) those who had not received statin therapy within a year before inclusion in the study, n = 20. The primary culture of monocytes from study participants was obtained by gradient centrifugation followed by immunomagnetic separation of CD14+ monocytes. The isolated cells were cultured for 7 days without stimulation and with pro-inflammatory stimulation using lipopolysaccharide (LPS). The level of basal, LPS-stimulated and re-stimulated secretion of TNFα and IL-1β was determined by enzyme immunoassay. Basal secretion of TNFα and IL-1β in patients receiving statins was lower than in patients who did not receive statins for a year; the secretion of both cytokines was significantly lower in the rosuvastatin group. LPS-stimulated TNFα secretion was significantly lower in the groups of patients receiving statins; IL-1β secretion was significantly lower in the atorvastatin and rosuvastatin groups compared to the group without statins. Re-stimulated IL-1β secretion did not differ significantly between groups; re-stimulated TNFα secretion was significantly lower in the rosuvastatin group compared to the atorvastatin and non-statin groups. Thus, the results of the study demonstrate the anti-inflammatory effectiveness of rosuvastatin, expressed in a decrease in the secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokines by cultured monocytes/macrophages of patients with severe coronary atherosclerosis.