Intensive Statin Therapy Compromises the Adiponectin-AdipoR Pathway in the Human Monocyte-Macrophage Lineage

Background and Purpose— Statins are widely used for cardiovascular disease prevention through cholesterol-lowering and anti-inflammatory effects. Adiponectin, an anti-inflammatory adipokine, acts via two receptors, AdipoR1 and AdipoR2, to exert atheroprotective effects on the vasculature. We investigated whether statins can modulate the adiponectin-AdipoR pathway in the human monocyte-macrophage lineage. Methods— Monocytes were isolated from the whole blood of patients with severe carotid atherosclerosis (cross-sectional study) or from patients with cardiovascular risk factors (longitudinal study) and assessed for AdipoR1 and AdipoR2 gene expression using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. In vitro, THP-1 (Tamm-Horsfall protein 1) macrophages were treated with increasing atorvastatin or rosuvastatin doses for 24- or 72-hours to determine the effect of statins on AdipoR expression and activity. Macrophage cytokine secretion (IL [interleukin]-1β, IL-10, IL-6, and TNF [tumor necrosis factor]-α) was assessed by electrochemiluminescence. Results— AdipoR1 and AdipoR2 mRNA expression on circulating monocytes from patients with carotid atherosclerosis, was significantly lower by 1.36- and 1.17-fold, respectively, in statin users versus statin-naïve patients. Specifically, patients on high doses of atorvastatin (40–80 mg) or rosuvastatin (20–40 mg) had significantly lower AdipoR gene expression versus statin-naïve patients. Similarly, in the longitudinal in vivo study, longer atorvastatin/rosuvastatin treatment (≥5 months) in patients with cardiovascular risk factors resulted in lower AdipoR gene expression on circulating monocytes versus prestatin levels. In vitro, higher statin doses and longer exposure resulted in a greater decrease in AdipoR mRNA expression and greater macrophage secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokines, IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α. High statin doses also reduced adiponectin’s capacity to suppress intracellular cholesteryl ester levels in oxLDL (oxidized LDL)-loaded macrophages, with rosuvastatin exhibiting higher potency than atorvastatin. Conclusions— Our in vivo and in vitro studies identified a novel pleiotropic property of statins in modulating the adiponectin-AdipoR pathway in the human monocyte-macrophage lineage, where intensive statin therapy compromised the expression and function of adiponectin and its receptors.