Decreases in serum ubiquinone concentrations do not result in reduced levels in muscle tissue during short-term simvastatin treatment in humans
Abstract
Statins, which are commonly used drugs for hypercholesterolemia, inhibit 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase, the rate-limiting enzyme in cholesterol synthesis. Important nonsterol compounds, such as ubiquinone, are also derived from the same synthetic pathway. Therefore it has been hypothesized that statin treatment causes ubiquinone deficiency in muscle cells, which could interfere with cellular respiration causing severe adverse effects. In this study we observed decreased serum levels but an enhancement in muscle tissue ubiquinone levels in patients with hypercholesterolemia after 4 weeks of simvastatin treatment. These results indicate that ubiquinone supply is not reduced during short-term statin treatment in the muscle tissue of subjects in whom myopathy did not develop.
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A lower simvastatin dose (20 mg/day) did not measurably change skeletal muscle Q10 content.
“A lower dose of simvastatin (20 mg/day) did not produce measurable changes in skeletal muscle Q 10 content (14,15).”
From Simvastatin Effects on Skeletal Muscle (2013) · cites this paper as [15]
High-dose simvastatin (80 mg/day) has been reported to decrease muscle Q10 protein content, while lower doses (20 mg/day) have not shown this decrease.
“Other studies with high simvastatin doses (80 mg/day) have reported decreased Q 10 protein content in muscle from simvastatin-treated patients (12,13), whereas studies using lower (20 mg/day) doses have been unable to demonstrate decreased muscle Q 10 protein content (14,15)”
From Simvastatin Effects on Skeletal Muscle (2013) · cites this paper as [15]
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References 22 · Cited by 177
- Authors
- Laaksonen, R., Jokelainen, K., Sahi, T., Tikkanen, M. J., & Himberg, J.-J.
- Affiliations
- University of Helsinki (FI)
- Corresponding author
- Laaksonen, Reijo
- ORCID
- Laaksonen, Reijo
- Venue
- Clinical Pharmacology & Therapeutics
- Publisher
- Wiley
- Published
- 1995-01
- Volume
- 57
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 62-66
- ISSN
- 0009-9236 (ISSN-L)
- 1532-6535
- OpenAlex
- W2061393221
- Cited by
- 177
- References
- 22
- Citations by year
- 2026: 1 · 2025: 1 · 2024: 1 · 2023: 2 · 2021: 3 · 2020: 3 · 2019: 2 · 2018: 7 · 2017: 1 · 2016: 6 · 2015: 6 · 2014: 6 · 2013: 7 · 2012: 10
- FWCI
- 1.23
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Clinical Pharmacology & Therapeutics (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › Coenzyme Q10 studies and effects
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Surgery › Lipoproteins and Cardiovascular Health
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Surgery › Cholesterol and Lipid Metabolism
- Keywords
- simvastatin, coenzyme Q10, statins, hypercholesterolemia, muscle tissue, statin-induced myopathy, HMG-CoA reductase inhibition, cholesterol biosynthesis, cellular respiration
- MeSH terms
- Acyl Coenzyme A, Adult, Anticholesteremic Agents, Cholesterol, Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid, Humans, Hypercholesterolemia, Lovastatin, Male, Middle Aged, Muscles, Ubiquinone, Simvastatin
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