Antiplatelet effects of policosanol (20 and 40 mg/day) in healthy volunteers and dyslipidaemic patients

Abstract

1. The present study was undertaken to compare the effects of a higher dose of policosanol, a cholesterol-lowering drug, (40 mg/day) with the effects of 20 mg/day policosanol on platelet aggregation in healthy volunteers and type II hypercholesterolaemic patients. 2. Study subjects were randomized to receive, under double-blind conditions, placebo or policosanol (20 or 40 mg/day) for 30 days once a day. Blood sampling was performed at baseline and after 30 days on therapy. 3. Platelet aggregation was induced with three aggregating agents: arachidonic acid (AA), collagen and low doses of ADP. 4. Policosanol (20 and 40 mg/day) moderately yet significantly reduced platelet aggregation, but no differences were observed in the effects produced by either dose of policosanol. In healthy volunteers, policosanol at 20 and 40 mg/day inhibited aggregation induced by 2 mmol/L AA (28.2 and 24.9%, respectively), 1 micro g/mL collagen (21.1 and 20.2%) and 1 micro mol/L ADP (30.9 and 29.1%). Changes that occurred following the administration of placebo were not significant, although an upward trend for collagen- and ADP-induced aggregation occurred in normal and hypercholesterolaemic subjects, respectively, thus partially masking the effects of policosanol on these responses. 5. The antiplatelet effects of policosanol at 20 and 40 mg/day in hypercholesterolaemic patients were also similar, so that both doses inhibited aggregation induced by 1.5 mmol/L AA (20.1 and 33.0%, respectively), 0.5 micro g/mL collagen (22.7 and 21.1%) and 1 micro mol/L ADP (40.5 and 34.7%). 6. In addition, after 30 days of therapy, 20 and 40 mg/day policosanol significantly (P < 0.01) reduced low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (15.9 and 17.0%, respectively) and total cholesterol (12.4 and 12.3%, respectively; P < 0.05), yet increased high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol values by 5% in both groups (P < 0.05). 7. Triglycerides were decreased compared with baseline, but not with respect to the placebo. 8. We conclude that the antiplatelet effects induced by 40 mg/day policosanol administered for 30 days to healthy volunteers and to hypercholesterolaemic patients were similar to the effects induced by 20 mg/day policosanol. Thus, no enhancement of the response was achieved with the use of a higher dose of policosanol in study patients.

Antiplatelet Properties of Escitalopram in Patients with the Metabolic Syndrome: A Dose-Ranging In Vitro Study

“…Although the precise role of ESC in patients with the metabolic syndrome is not established, the association between platelet activation and the metabolic syndrome is not entirely new. In fact, every risk factor and/or clinical symptom associated with the metabolic syndrome including insulin resistance (Anfossi et al, 2003), vascular inflammation (Esposito et al, 2004), dyslipidemia (Arruzazabala et al, 2002), hypertension (Serebruany et al, 2006), and obesity (Anfossi et al, 2004) may per se cause platelet activation. As a combination of the above-mentioned features, the metabolic syndrome obviously represents a high-risk thrombophilic state because of the activation of primary platelet hemostasis (Arteaga et al, 2006;Jesri et al, 2005), hypercoagulation (Nieuwdorp et al, 2005), and impaired fibrinolysis (Trost et al, 2006).…”

Evolution of Fatty Alcohols in Olive Oils produced in Calabria (Southern Italy) during Fruit Ripening

“…The administration of 20 and 40 mg/day of policosanol for 30 days significantly inhibited platelet aggregation; in addition policosanols were found to increase the HDL cholesterol and reduce LDL cholesterol content in the blood of 45 hypercholesterolaemic patients 21 .…”

New hypotheses for the health-protective mechanisms of whole-grain cereals: what is beyond fibre?

“…(256) ); mental health (966,967) ; osmotic demyelination syndrome (968) ; volume regulation during persistent osmotic stress (969) ; cancer (686) ; diabetic polyneuropathy and nerve conduction (970) ; intestinal lipodystrophy (963) Policosanol: Octacosanol in human health (302) ; CVD (304) ; lipid, cholesterol and LDL (303,306,971 -973) ; cholesterol biosynthesis and LDL catabolism (973) ; hydroxymethylglutaryl-coenzyme A (HMGCoA) reductase (974) ; LDL peroxidation (307) ; membrane lipid peroxidation (975) ; lipid metabolism (301) ; platelet aggregation and thromboxane generation, endothelial damage and foam cell formation (976,977) ; cytoprotection in gastric ulcer (978) ; athletic performances (979) ; cardiac events, and cholesterol and anti-aggregatory effects (cited in Taylor et al (302) ); smooth muscle cell proliferation (980) ; anti-fatigue drug (302) Melatonin (981) : Mood, happiness, sleep and brain neuromodulation in Alzheimer's disease (309,310) ; antioxidant (982,983) ; corticoid receptor (984) ; scavenger of hydroxyl radicals (985) ; brain GSH peroxidase activity (986) ; gene expression for antioxidant enzyme (987) ; sleep -wake regulation (309,988) ; DNA damage (989) ; lifespan (990) ; oncostatic role and antiproliferative effect (311,312) ; cancers (991) para-Aminobenzoic acid (PABA): Acetylation in blood and other tissues (315,…”