Bezafibrate causes depression of the immune response and increases the sensitivity to endotoxin in association with low level of HDL and PPARα activity in hypertensive ISIAH rats.

We studied the effect of bezafibrate on hepatic PPARα activity and immune parameters in hypertensive ISIAH rats in comparison with normotensive WAG rats under conditions of LPS treatment. Bezafibrate increased activity of PPARα in WAG rats, but not in ISIAH rats. As differentiated from WAG rats, bezafibrate produced a potent effect on the content of T cell subpopulations in the thymus and spleen of ISIAH rats. Administration of LPS after injection of bezafibrate caused death of 50% ISIAH animals (but not WAG rats), which was associated with low level of HDL cholesterol and increased triglyceride content. Our results suggest that the hypolipidemic treatment (e.g., bezafibrate) can increase the severity of complications in patients with infectious and inflammatory diseases in association with low level of HDL.