Fluvastatin Decreases Oxidative Stress in Kidney Transplant Patients

•Oxidative stress is believed to be an important contributing factor for chronic allograft nephropathy and CVD after kidney transplantation (KT).•In recent years, despite the decrease in the acute rejection rate with new immunosuppressive drugs, long-term results of KT are not good.•This situation is partly attributable to the side effects of immunosuppressive drugs. Calcineurin inhibitors, subclinical rejection, and other factors in patients with KT may increase oxidative damage. It is well known that statins have antioxidant properties in normal population.•In our small-scale study, we investigated the antioxidant effects of statins in KT. Statins can be used in all KT regardless of hyperlipidemia due to this effect.

ObjectiveOxidative stress has been suggested to have a pivotal role in the development of cardiovascular disease in kidney transplant patients (KTPs). The effects of fluvastatin on oxidative status in KTPs have not been well evaluated. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effects of fluvastatin on oxidative status by investigating erythrocyte superoxide dismutase (SOD), erythrocyte glutathione peroxidase (GPx), serum paraoxonase (PON1), and serum arylesterase (ARE), along with lipid peroxidation products, serum malonldialdehyde, and apolipoprotein B malondialdehyde (ApoB MDA).MethodsEighteen KTPs were included in the present study. Blood samples were obtained after 1 night's fast. Erythrocyte SOD, erythrocyte GPx, serum PON1, serum ARE, serum MDA, and ApoB MDA were measured using methods described previously. Paired-sample t test was used for comparing the changes from week 0 to week 4 of parameters that might be associated with fluvastatin treatment.ResultsThe present study has shown that erythrocyte SOD and GPx, and serum PON1 and ARE activities increased at the fourth week of the statin treatment. Furthermore an increase in the antioxidant enzymes following fluvastatin may be a clue for the antioxidant effects of this drug. Four weeks of fluvastatin long-acting tablets 80 mg/day led to a decrease in plasma Apo-MDA and MDA levels.ConclusionThe findings of the present study demonstrate that fluvastatin 80 mg long-acting tablets may be used safely for 4 weeks and decrease atherogenic lipoproteins in KTPs. Furthermore, after 4 weeks of fluvastatin treatment, the levels of antioxidant parameters increased and oxidative parameters decreased. Further placebo-controlled treatment studies would be helpful to evaluate the effects of fluvastatin on oxidant and antioxidant parameters including PON1 in patients with KT.