Effects Of Treatment With Corticotropin On The Plasma Lipid Parameters In Renal Allograft Recipients

Objective: To observe the influence of Corticotropin on the serum lipoprotein profile in renal allograft recipients, and to study the effect of ACTH on the plasma lipoprotein pattern in renal allograft recipients treated with a 3- hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme A reductase inhibitor.Methods: The researches included two parts: (l)Thirty patients were divided into control group (n=15) and treatment group (n=15) randomly. Treatment group received Corticotropin intramuscularly 25U/day for five days.Serum concentrations of lipids, lipoproteins, and apolipoproteins were analyzed, and the side-effects were recorded.(2) The ACTH treatment (25U/d><5) was given to 10 patients who were on treatment with simvastatin 20 mg daily. Serum concentrations of lipids, lipoproteins, and apolipoproteins were analyzed, and the side-effects were recorded.Results: (l)Treatment with Corticotropin in renal allograft recipients led to marked reductions in serum concentration of TC TG LDL apoB LP(a)by 12% (P<0.01), 22% (P0.01), 29% (P0.01), 17% (P0.05) and 11% (P0.01) respectively, while serum concentration of HDL and apoAl increased by 10% (P<0.05) and 9% (P0.05) .The serum concentrations of CRP decreased by 14%(PO.01). Proportionality of LDL /HDL decreased by 26% (P0.05 ) , while Proportionality of apoAI / apoB increased by 31% (P0.05) . There were no changes in the serum concentrations of cyclosporine A ( P>0.05 ) . No side-effects wereobserved.(2) Treatment with corticotropin in renal allograft recipients who were on treatment with simvastatin led to marked reductions in serum concentration of TC TG, LP(a LDL apoB by 20% (P0.05), 18% (P0.01), 36%(P<0.05), 32%(P<0.01)and 14%(P<0.01)respectively. Proportionality of LDL /HDL decreased by 27% (P0.05 ) , while Proportionality of apoAI / apoB increased by 32% (P0.05) . There were no changes in the serum concentrations of cyclosporine A (P>0.05) . No side - effects were observed.Conclusions: In renal allograft recipients, short-term treatment with ACTH has lipid-lowing effects. In recipients on simvastatin treatment, short-term treatment with ACTH had marked lipid-lowering effects. ACTH has special lipid-lowing mechanism.