Ooi T C, Peden N R, Champion M C, Simo E I
Atherosclerosis. 1985 Nov;57(2-3):159-62. doi: 10.1016/0021-9150(85)90029-2.
Of the two major subfractions of high density lipoprotein (HDL), HDL2 cholesterol (HDL2-C) and not HDL3 cholesterol (HDL3-C) correlates negatively with coronary heart disease. To study the effect of cimetidine and ranitidine on HDL subfractions, 6 healthy males received cimetidine (600 mg bid) ranitidine (150 mg bid) and placebo (one tab bid) for 1 week each, in random order. Measurements of HDL cholesterol (HDL-C), HDL2-C, HDL3-C were made on day 7 of each week. Comparing cimetidine with placebo, HDL2-C/HDL-C, HDL2-C/total cholesterol and HDL2-C/HDL3-C increased significantly while HDL3-C/HDL-C decreased. There was no difference in HDL-C parameters between ranitidine and placebo. Cimetidine treatment results in redistribution of HDL subfractions in favour of HDL2. The mechanism is not H2-receptor antagonism as ranitidine had no such effect.
