Oneliner_1454

OneLiner

Statins competitively inhibit hydroxymethylglutaryl-coenzyme A (HMG-CoA) reductase, the enzyme that catalyzes the rate-limiting step in cholesterol synthesis, by obstructing part of the enzyme’s active site. The subsequent decrease in intrahepatic cholesterol causes upregulation of hepatic LDL cholesterol receptors, ultimately lowering plasma LDL cholesterol levels. The Michaelis-Menten constant (Km) is the concentration of a substrate that brings about an initial velocity that is half the maximum velocity (Vmax) of the reaction. Because statins bind to the same binding site as the substrates of the enzyme, statins increase HMG-CoA reductase’s apparent Km