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Pravastatin
Pronunciation
Definition 1
The active ingredient in a drug used to lower the amount of cholesterol in the blood and to prevent stroke and heart attack. It is also being studied in the treatment of cancer and other conditions. Pravastatin blocks an enzyme that helps make cholesterol in the body. It may also make tumor cells more sensitive to anticancer drugs. It is a type of HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor, a type of statin, and a type of chemosensitizer. (NCI Dictionary)
Definition 2
A synthetic lipid-lowering agent. Pravastatin competitively inhibits hepatic hydroxymethyl-glutaryl coenzyme A (HMG-CoA) reductase, the enzyme which catalyzes the conversion of HMG-CoA to mevalonate, a key step in cholesterol synthesis. Pravastatin lowers plasma cholesterol and lipoprotein levels, and modulates immune responses by suppressing MHC II (major histocompatibility complex II) on interferon gamma-stimulated, antigen-presenting cells such as human vascular endothelial cells. (NCI Thesaurus)
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