Nitric oxide-donating statins upgrade the benefits of lipid-lowering in vascular inflammation by desensitizing neutrophil activation: editorial to: 'Nitric oxide-donating atorvastatin attenuates neutrophil recruitment during vascular inflammation independent of changes in plasma cholesterol' by R. Baetta et al.

摘要

Cardiovascular events are the leading cause for morbidity and mortality in Western societies. Clinical manifestations such as myocardial infarction and stroke mainly rely on the development and progression of atherosclerosis, which, in terms of identifying promising therapeutic targets, requires detailed understanding of its pathophysiology and underlying cellular as well as molecular mechanisms [1,2]. Atherosclerosis has widely been accepted to be a chronic inflammatory disease of the arterial wall [1,2]. Initially promoted by multifaceted parameters such as modified low density lipoprotein (LDL) or altered flow, it is characterized by endothelial dysfunction. Activation of endothelial cells subsequently launches a cascade of self-amplifying inflammatory processes such as expression of chemokines, cytokines and adhesion molecules, all of which then contribute to leukocyte activation, adhesion, arrest and transmigration [3].