Researchers have investigated the genomic effect of vitamin C and statins within human mononuclear cells involved in atherogenic process.

Scientists in India report, "Deregulated crosstalk within the nuclear receptor/transcription factor family, comprising of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPARs) and liver X receptor-alpha (LXR-alpha), can give rise to cooperativity between lipid peroxidation and inflammation leading to atherogenic process."

D. Kaul and M.I. Baba of the Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research in Chandigarh wrote, "[Our] study, which explored the effect of statins and vitamin C on transcriptional expression of gene coding for this nuclear receptor/transcription factor family within mononuclear cells, revealed for the first time that both mevastatin and vitamin C have common action in that they significantly downregulate the expression of PPAR (alpha, gamma) genes and upregulate LXR-alpha gene expression as compared to the control."

"A similar phenomenon was observed in mononuclear cells obtained from coronary heart disease (CHD) patients who were receiving atorvastatin treatment (20 mg HS)," they noted. "Further, the observed upregulatory effect of LXR-alpha gene expression was in conformity with the downregulatory effect of LXR-alpha on its effector gene matrix metalloproteinase-9."

The authors concluded, "Based on these results, we propose that LXR-alpha-dependent signaling pathway may be a crucial target for the therapeutic intervention in human CHD, and in addition to statins, vitamin C deserves a close scrutiny for the treatment of CHD."

Kaul and Baba published their study in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition (Genomic effect of vitamin 'C' and statins within human mononuclear cells involved in atherogenic process. Eur J Clin Nutr, 2005;59(8): 978-81).

For more information, contact D. Kaul, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Department of Experimental Medicine & Biotechnology, Chandigarh, India. dkaul_24@hotmail.com

Publisher contact information for the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition is: Nature Publishing Group, Macmillan Building, 4 Crinan Street, London N1 9XW, England.

Keywords: Chandigarh, India, Angiology, Atorvastatin, Cardiology, Nutrition and Health, Endocrinology, Gene Expression, Genetics, Genomics, Heart Disease, Lipid Peroxidation, Matrix Metalloproteinase, Neurology, Nuclear Receptors, Statins, Vitamin C, Transcriptome, Mononuclear Cells, Atherogenesis. This article was prepared by Biotech Law Weekly editors from staff and other reports. Copyright 2005, Biotech Law Weekly via LawRx.com.

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