Direct effects of rosuvastatin on pancreatic human beta cells

Excerpt

The 3-hydroxy-methylglutaryl coenzyme A inhibitors statins are largely used for primary and secondary prevention of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease in both non-diabetic and diabetic patients [1, 2]. However, recent work has suggested that statin therapy may be associated with increased risk of new onset diabetes and deterioration of glycemic control. The concern was initially raised in 2008, when increased incidence of diabetes among patients taking rosuvastatin in the JUPITER study was reported [3]. A successive meta-analysis of randomized placebo-controlled and standard care–controlled trials (19,140 subjects of whom 4,278 developed diabetes) demonstrated a 9 % increased risk of incident diabetes in statin-treated individuals [4]. The benefits of statin treatment largely exceed the diabetes hazard [5‐7]; nevertheless, it is important to investigate the mechanisms through which these molecules might affect glucose homeostasis. In this study, we have assessed the direct action of rosuvastatin on isolated human islets. Insulin secretion, beta cell survival, ultrastructure and gene expression studies were performed. …