Study says lupus drugs may treat atherosclerosis

The study showed that the two drugs TSA and SAHA decreased cholesterol deposits in the walls of arteries.

The two drugs are part of a class of drugs called histone deacetylase inhibitors, or HDIs. They work by multiple mechanisms, one of which is anti-inflammatory as they decrease inflammatory proteins produced by macrophages, a type of white blood cell. These inflammatory proteins can make the atherosclerotic plaque unstable.

After the macrophages were treated with either TSA or SAHA, the researchers also measured dramatic decreases in LDL and total cholesterol in the macrophages. The drugs prevented macrophages from turning into foam cells inside arterial walls, which is a key component of the buildup of plaque that leads to a narrowing of the arteries.

With the growing understanding that atherosclerosis, also known as hardening of the arteries, is in part an inflammatory disease, researchers noted that doctors might be able to take advantage of the anti-inflammatory effects of TSA and SAHA.

“Premature accelerated atherosclerosis is one of the leading causes of death and disability in lupus,” said Nilamadhab Mishra, a rheumatologist. “Despite the success of lipid-lowering drugs for the prevention of coronary artery disease and myocardial infarction (heart attacks), atherosclerosis remains the most common cause of disease-related death in the Western world and in developing countries.”

SAHA already is being tested as an anticancer drug, and TSA is an antifungal antibiotic also being tested against cancer.

The research is part of a larger project, supported by a grant from the National Institutes of Health, to further develop the HDI class of drugs for the treatment and prevention of atherosclerosis.