The administration of pitavastatin augments creatinine clearance associated with reduction in oxidative stress...

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a serious health problem worldwide. Therapies that can halt the progression of CKD are limited, and the identification of new strategies for CKD treatment is therefore important. Pitavastatin, one of the newest statins introduced to the market, has been shown to exhibit some beneficial effects on renal and endothelial function.

We enrolled 12 healthy volunteers for our study. With or without pitavastatin administration, creatinine clearance (Ccr), urinary albumin excretion, lipid status, and oxidative stress markers were evaluated in acute and early phases after administration of the drug.

A single pitavastatin administration increased Ccr and reduced oxidative stress parameters, such as 8-OHdG levels and isoprostane production, within 6 h, without altering lipid status in healthy participants. A two-week treatment with pitavastatin lowered total and LDL cholesterol and triglycerides but not HDL cholesterol at 7 and 14 days. This change in lipid profile is associated with enhanced Ccr and the suppression of oxidative stress parameters. Urinary albumin excretion was reduced after either acute or chronic administration of pitavastatin, although this effect was not yet significant.

We found that pitavastatin augmented Ccr and reduced oxidative stress parameters in healthy subjects. These data suggest that pitavastatin affects renal outcomes in both lipid status-dependent and -independent manners. These observations suggest that pitavastatin treatment could be beneficial for CKD patients.