An ex vivo study of foam cell formation and cholesterol clearance in macrophages isolated from patients with hypertriglyceridemia and low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol treated with high-dose simvastatin

High-density lipoproteins (HDL) are thought to be cardio-protective due to their role in decreasing cholesterol accumulation and in enhancing cholesterol removal from foam cells. Our study will examine foam cell formation and HDL-mediated cholesterol removal from macrophages isolated from patients with hypertriglyceridemia and low HDL. Peripheral blood monocytes and lipoproteins will be isolated from donors before and after 6-12 weeks on high-dose simvastatin (80 mg). The isolated lipoproteins from each donor will be incubated with their own macrophages for the study of foam cell formation and HDL-mediated cholesterol efflux. We expect to show that simvastatin increases HDL cholesterol, decreases triglyceride levels, and is associated with less foam cell formation and greater HDL-mediated cholesterol clearance.