Effect of cerivastatin on urinary albumin excretion and plasma endothelin-1 concentrations in type 2 diabetes patients with microalbuminuria and dyslipidemia

Background/Aims: To determine whether cerivastatin, a newly developed novel synthetic potent statin, exerts a renoprotective effect, we assessed urinary albumin excretion (UAE) and plasma and urinary endothelin (ET)-1 concentrations in normotensive microalbuminuric type 2 diabetes patients with dyslipidemia. Methods: Sixty normotensive type 2 diabetic patients (38 men and 22 women; mean age 56.5 years) with microalbuminuria (20-200 mug/min) and dyslipidemia (total cholesterol >200 mg/dl, LDL cholesterol >160 mg/dl, HDL cholesterol <35 mg/dl, and triglyceride >150 mg/dl) were enrolled in a double-blind study for 6 months, receiving either cerivastatin (0.15 mg/day) or placebo. Plasma and urinary ET-1 concentrations were measured by radioimmunoassay. Results: Cerivastatin did not affect serum creatinine and HbA(1c) levels, and reduced systolic blood pressure slightly, but not significantly. Plasma levels of total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol were significantly reduced (p <0.01), and plasma triglyceride levels were also reduced significantly (p < 0.05) after 6 months of cerivastatin treatment. A concomitant significant decrease in UAE (p <0.01), and urinary and plasma ET-1 concentrations (p <0.01) were found during this period. Conclusion:The use of cerivastatin is associated with decreased microalbuminuria and plasma and urinary ET-1 levels in microalbuminuric patients with type 2 diabetic mellitus and speculate that this may represent an amelioration of renal injury. Copyright (C) 2001 S. Karger AG, Basel.