Conclusions
Besides its lipid-lowering effect, evolocumab may exert antioxidant properties and protect cardiomyocytes from lipid peroxidation while not affecting NO production.
Methods
The rats were divided into lean and obese controls and obese rats treated with evolocumab subcutaneously at a dose of 10 mg/kg every two weeks. After 6 weeks, the lipid profile was determined in the plasma, and NO synthase (NOS) activity, thiobarbituric acid reactive substance (TBARS), conjugated diene (CD) concentration, and protein expression of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) oxidase, nuclear factor kappaB (NF-κB), endothelial NOS (eNOS), and phosphorylated eNOS (peNOS) were measured in the heart.
Results
Evolocumab treatment did not reduce body weight, relative heart weight, or systolic blood pressure in obese Zucker rats. Evolocumab treatment, however, reduced plasma LDL levels, TBARS, and CD concentrations along with decreasing expression of NADPH oxidase and NF-kappaB proteins in the heart. On the other hand, evolocumab had no effect on NOS activity or eNOS and peNOS protein expression. Conclusions: Besides its lipid-lowering effect, evolocumab may exert antioxidant properties and protect cardiomyocytes from lipid peroxidation while not affecting NO production.