To evaluate for the first time, comparative serum and prostate tissue concentrations of lipophilic and hydrophilic statins.
After reviewing all patients who underwent radical prostatectomy between 1993-2019, we selected 80 patients taking atorvastatin (lipophilic) or rosuvastatin (hydrophilic) for cholesterol control and with available banked fresh-frozen tissue from the prostatectomy. Primary endpoint was serum and prostate statin concentration measured by HPLC-mass spectrometry analysis. Serum/prostate statin concentrations were compared between patients on atorvastatin and rosuvastatin, and patients receiving high- and low-dose statin, using the Mann-Whitney U test.
In total, 39 patients were taking atorvastatin and 41 were taking rosuvastatin. Thirty-eight and 42 were taking high- and low-dose statin, respectively. Statin concentration was measurable in the prostatic tissue of 15 patients (38.4%) taking atorvastatin (33.3% high-dose vs. 42.8% low-dose) compared to 22 (53.6%) taking rosuvastatin (55% high-dose vs. 52.3% low-dose). Median tissue concentration of rosuvastatin was greater than atorvastatin (3.98 ng/g vs. 0.96 ng/g, p<0.001). Dose-dependency was observed: median prostate concentration was higher in those taking high-dose vs. low-dose statin for both atorvastatin (1.22 ng/g vs. 0.79 ng/g, p=0.69) and rosuvastatin (5.21 ng/g vs. 1.99 ng/g, p<0.001).
We have shown, for the first time, that lipophilic and hydrophilic statins can be measured in the prostate of patients with prostate cancer and that the concentrations are dependent on dose. Moreover, rosuvastatin, a hydrophilic statin, achieves a 4-fold higher concentration in the prostate.
Urology. 2024 Aug 31 [Epub ahead of print]
Julian Chavarriaga, Linda Z Penn, Najia Khurram, Katherine Lajkosz, Joseph Longo, Eric Chen, Neil Fleshner, Theodorus van der Kwast, Robert J Hamilton
Division of Urology, Department of Surgical Oncology, University Health Network & University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada; Department of Pathology, University Health Network & University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada. Electronic address: ., Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada; Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada; Department of Pathology, University Health Network & University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada., Division of Urology, Department of Surgical Oncology, University Health Network & University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada; Department of Pathology, University Health Network & University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada., Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada; Department of Pathology, University Health Network & University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.