Volume 24, Issue 106, November - December, 2020

The Effects of Itraconazole on the Lipid Profile in Humans and Rabbits

Abdulmajeed Alajlan^1♦, Sami Alsuwaidan¹, Ali Mustafa², Omar Alshiekh¹, Huda Alkreathy³

¹Associate Professor, Dermatology Department, Faculty of Medicine, King Saud University, King Saud University Medical City, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
²Professor, Dermatology pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, King Fahad Medical City, Saudi Arabia
³Associate Professor, Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

^♦Corresponding author
Abdulmajeed M. Alajlan, Associate Professor and Consultant, Dermatology Department, King Saud University Medical City, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Email: amajlan@ksu.edu.sa Contact: 00966-502223030

ABSTRACT

Objectives: To investigate the effects of the azole antifungal agent, itraconazole, on the lipid profile of patients attending the dermatology clinics and any changes in serum creatinine associated. Also we aim at investigation of lipid profile of normo-lipidemic rabbits and any changes in serum creatinine associated with the use of these antifungal agents in the experimental animals and compare the outcome between humans and rabbits. Methods: In this study the effects of the antifungal drugs, itraconazole on the levels of serum lipids (triglycerides, cholesterol, high density lipoproteins and low density lipoproteins) and serum creatinine were investigated in humans and rabbits. Blood samples were taken before and 1 week following drug treatment. Blood samples were analyzed using commercially available kits. Treatment with itraconazole (200 mg/day) for one week in humans caused significant reductions in serum triglycerides, total cholesterol and LDL-cholesterol levels without any statistically significant alterations in HDLcholesterol levels. In animal experiments blood samples were taken before and one, four, and six weeks following treatment with drugs. Blood samples were analyzed using commercially available kits. Results: Treatment with itraconazole 1 week to humans produced no significant changes in serum creatinine. The present results indicate that itraconazole, when used in therapeutic doses in humans, produced a significant effect on the levels of serum lipids except that of HDL-cholesterol. Treatment of rabbits with itraconazole (40 and 80 mg/kg/day) for six weeks produced a significant reduction in serum triglycerides and total cholesterol levels. However, its effects on HDL-cholesterol and LDL-cholesterol were not statistically significant. Treatment with itraconazole for six weeks in rabbits produced no significant changes in serum creatinine. Conclusion: The present results show clearly that itraconazole may have beneficial effects in patients who are suffering from hyperlipidemia and are in need of itraconazole for treatment of fungal infestations. Furthermore, when itraconazole is simultaneously prescribed together with lipid lowering drugs especially HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors such as lovastatin the level of creatine kinase, aldolase, lactate dehydrogenase, aspartate aminotransferase, and alanine aminotransferase must be continuously monitored to avoid rhabdomyolysis. However, itraconazole, when used in therapeutic doses, produced significant reductions in the serum lipids of rabbits without any significant changes on the HDL or LDLcholesterol levels.

Keywords: Itraconazole; Lipid profile; Humans; Rabbits

Medical Science, 2020, 24(106), 3855-3867

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