Effect of Pravastatin on Erythrocyte Membrane Fatty Acid Contents in Patients With Chronic Kidney Disease

Patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) have higher risk of death and cardiovascular disease than general population. Treatment using statin has been decreased the risk of cardiovascular events in pre-dialysis CKD population. Supplementation with omega-3 fatty acid (FA) lowers the risk of cardiovascular death in patients with myocardial infarction. This cardioprotective effect of omega-3 FA can be explained by anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidative, or anti-thrombotic effects. Statin such as pravastatin is also known to have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, suggesting that statin may replace the cardioprotective effect of omega-3 fatty acids. Omega-3 FA such as EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid), DHA (docosahexaenoic acid), and EPA/arachidonic acid ratio are well known as key indicators of cardiovascular disease. In addition, erythrocyte membrane oleic acid is significantly higher in patients with acute coronary syndrome than control subjects. The cardioprotective effect of omega-3 FA may also be related to decreased oleic acid content of erythrocyte membrane. There is no report about the effect of statin on FA including erythrocyte membrane oleic acid. As omega-3 FAs are recognized as therapeutic agents for reducing triglycerides, statin may affect on the erythrocyte membrane FA. Therefore, pravastatin supplementation can modify erythrocyte membrane FA contents including oleic acid in CKD patients.