Hypolipaemic effect and inhibition of lipid peroxidation by glunicate in rats on atherogenic diet.

The antiatherosclerotic profile of nicotinic acid and of its new water-insoluble derivative was studied in an 8-day experiment in rats. Both drugs lowered plasma triglyceride levels significantly, while other lipoprotein parameters were unaffected. Circulating immune complex levels were decreased with lysosomal membrane permeability by both drugs. Glunicate proved to be a powerful antioxidant with regard to enzymatic lipid peroxidation when studied in the liver microsomal system. The relevance of these findings to the antiatherosclerotic effect of the drugs and the biological significance of antioxidant treatment is discussed. On the basis of these data glunicate seems to be a promising new therapeutic tool against atherosclerosis and merits further study.