Hypolipidemic effects of nimesulide and celecoxib in experimentally induced hypercholesterolemia in rabbits

Background/aim: Hypercholesterolemia plays an important role in the development of atherosclerotic disease, which is one of the leading causes of mortality in the world. Previous studies showed that cyclooxygenase (COX) inhibitors could be used in treating hypercholesterolemia. The present study was designed to test whether COX-2 inhibition can improve lipid profiles in hypercholesterolemia. Materials and methods: Rabbits were fed a high-cholesterol diet to produce hypercholesterolemia. The role of COX-2 was evaluated using celecoxib and nimesulide. Rabbits were divided into 4 groups: the first with normal healthy rabbits, second with high-cholesterol diet and pretreatment with saline, third with high-cholesterol diet and pretreatment with celecoxib, and fourth with high-cholesterol diet and pretreatment with nimesulide. Total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein (HDL), low-density lipoprotein (LDL), and triglyceride levels were measured at 2-week intervals in all the groups. Results: Results show significantly high levels of serum cholesterol, LDL, and triglyceride but low levels of HDL in hypercholesterolemic rabbits pretreated with saline. Rabbits pretreated with nimesulide and celecoxib showed improvement compared to the saline-treated group. Conclusion: Improvement of lipid profile by celecoxib in hypercholesterolemic rabbits indicates the detrimental role of COX-2 during atherogenesis. However, the observed effects of nimesulide and celecoxib in hypercholesterolemia may be independent of their ability to inhibit COX-2. Nevertheless, both celecoxib and nimesulide show lipid-lowering potential in experimental hypercholesterolemia.