Clinical study on the effect of simvastatin on butyrylcholinesterase activity.

Although the physiological function of serum butyrylcholinesterase (BuChE) has not yet been clarified, there is evidence that this enzyme is involved in serum lipoprotein metabolism. It has been suggested that serum BuChE is positively correlated with LDL (low-density lipoprotein) and negatively with HDL (high-density lipoprotein) levels. The objective of this study was to determine whether the activity of BuChE changes during treatment with simvastatin (CAS 79902-63-9). The effects of simvastatin therapy on serum lipoproteins and plasma BuChE activity were studied in 15 patients with type IIa and 17 patients with type IIb hyperlipoproteinemia. Beside the expected influence on serum lipid concentration, a statistically significant decrease in BuChE activity in patients with hyperli-poproteinemia type IIa and IIb during treatment with simvastatin was not observed.