Association of Plasma Ceramides and Sphingomyelin With VLDL apoB-100 Fractional Catabolic Rate Before and After Rosuvastatin Treatment

<p><b>Introduction:</b> The objective of the study was to examine post hoc associations between plasma sphingolipids and lipoprotein kinetics in men with the metabolic syndrome after rosuvastatin treatment.</p><p><b>Materials and Methods:</b> Plasma sphingolipid profiling, determined by tandem mass spectrometry, was performed in a randomized, double-blind, triple-crossover trial (n = 12) of 5-week treatment periods with placebo or rosuvastatin (10 or 40 mg/d) with 2-week washouts between treatments.</p><p><b>Results and Discussion:</b> Baseline plasma ceramides were associated with very low-density lipoprotein (VLDL) apolipoprotein (apo)-B-100 concentration (r = 0.58, <i>P</i> < .05) and inversely with VLDL apoB-100 fractional catabolic rate (FCR; r = -0.67, <i>P</i> = .02). Posttreatment changes with rosuvastatin (40 mg/d) in plasma ceramides were inversely associated with VLDL apoB-100 FCR (r = -0.62, <i>P</i> = .03) independent of changes in plasma triglycerides, cholesterol, and low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol. By contrast, baseline and postrosuvastatin treatment plasma sphingomyelin levels were not associated with apoB-100 kinetics. Plasma ceramides and sphingomyelin were not associated with the kinetics or concentrations of high-density lipoprotein apoA-I, and low-density lipoprotein apoB. In the metabolic syndrome, the ability of rosuvastatin to increase VLDL apoB-100 FCR may reflect ceramide-specific mechanistic actions and/or sphingolipid exchange.</p>