Fig. 2

Atherosclerosis results in many fatal clinical complications such as myocardial infarction, stroke, and aneurysm. Regulation of CCL2/CCR2 pathways is suggested as a possible therapeutic approach. Statins exert a part of their pleiotropic effect by modulating the CCL2/CCR2 axis. This figure explains how statins exert their protective effect on the catastrophic consequences of atherosclerosis based on in vitro and in vivo investigations. Increased adipose tissue is associated with higher levels of CCL-2. Statins showed promising results in down-regulating CCL2 and other inflammatory markers in adipocytes; the cells whose contribution to the atherosclerosis process is established. Red arrows depict how statins intervene in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis complications based on in vitro and in vivo models