BACKGROUND: Statins reduce the risk of cardiovascular events in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). Although diabetes mellitus (DM) is a reported side effect of statin treatment, some studies have indicated that pitavastatin does not cause DM. The present study investigated the effect of pitavastatin on the fatty acid (FA) content of erythrocyte membranes, which affects the occurrence of DM and cardiovascular diseases. In addition, changes in adiponectin and glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) levels were evaluated after pitavastatin treatment. METHODS: A total of 45 patients were enrolled, 28 of whom completed the study. Over 24 weeks, 16 patients received 2 mg pitavastatin and 12 patients received 10 mg atorvastatin. Dosages were adjusted after 12 weeks if additional lipid control was required. There were 10 and nine patients with DM in the pitavastatin and atorvastatin groups, respectively. Erythrocyte membrane FAs and adiponectin levels were measured using gas chromatography and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, respectively. RESULTS: In both groups, saturated FAs, palmitic acid, trans-oleic acid, total cholesterol, and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels were significantly lower than those at baseline. The arachidonic acid (AA) content in the erythrocyte membrane increased significantly in the pitavastatin group, but adiponectin levels were unaffected. HbA1c levels decreased in patients treated with pitavastatin. No adverse effects were associated with statin treatment. CONCLUSION: Pitavastatin treatment in patients with CKD may improve glucose metabolism by altering erythrocyte membrane AA levels. In addition, pitavastatin did not adversely affect glucose control in patients with CKD and DM.

Mitochondrial homeostasis is controlled by biogenesis, dynamics, and mitophagy. Mitochondrial dysfunction plays a central role in cardiovascular and renal disease and omega-3 fatty acids (FAs) are beneficial for cardiovascular disease. We investigated whether omega-3 fatty acids (FAs) regulate mitochondrial biogenesis, dynamics, and mitophagy in the kidney and heart of adenine-induced uremic rats. Eighteen male Sprague Dawley rats were divided into normal control, adenine control, and adenine with omega-3 FA groups. Using Western blot analysis, the kidney and heart expression of mitochondrial homeostasis-related molecules, including peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma coactivator-1 alpha (PGC-1α), dynamin-related protein 1 (Drp1), and phosphatase and tensin homolog-induced putative kinase 1 (PINK1) were investigated. Compared to normal, serum creatinine and heart weight/body weight in adenine control were increased and slightly improved in the omega-3 FA group. Compared to the normal controls, the expression of PGC-1α and PINK1 in the kidney and heart of the adenine group was downregulated, which was reversed after omega-3 FA supplementation. Drp1 was upregulated in the kidney but downregulated in the heart in the adenine group. Drp1 expression in the heart recovered in the omega-3 FA group. Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) was decreased in the kidney and heart of the adenine control group but the mtDNA of the heart was recovered in the omega-3 FA group. Drp1, which is related to mitochondrial fission, may function oppositely in the uremic kidney and heart. Omega-3 FAs may be beneficial for mitochondrial homeostasis by activating mitochondrial biogenesis and PINK1-dependent mitophagy in the kidney and heart of uremic rats.