Tissue-type plasminogen activator (tPA) is an endothelium-derived vasoactive substance which is released to the blood stream by exercise, blood occlusion, and desmopressin (DDAVP). The increased capacity of the plasma tPA level raised by these factors is thought to reflect in vivo endothelial function. On the other hand, endothelial dysfunction has been reported in patients with hypercholesteremia as well as in those with diabetes mellitus. Therefore, diabetic patients with hypercholesteremia were administered 5 mg of simvastatin daily for one month and plasma tPA responses evoked by DDAVP were examined before and after treatment for hypercholesteremia. While the treatment of simvastatin for one month significantly reduced serum cholesterol levels from 257 +/- 12 mg to 206 +/- 10 mg (no change in HbA1c was observed during the study), plasma tPA levels and % delta vWF (von Willebrand factor) following DDAVP infusion significantly increased from 11.4 +/- 1.2 ng/ml to 13.4 +/- 1.4 ng/ml and from 69.3 +/- 23.4% to 126.5 +/- 47.4%, respectively. However, neither increase in plasma levels of guanosine 3', 5'-cyclic monophosphate (cGMP) nor change in the depressive response of blood pressure was observed following DDAVP infusion after the treatment of simvastatin. In addition, no change in urinary albumin excretion rate was observed with the treatment of hypercholesteremia. Therefore, it was suggested that improvement in hypercholesteremia may ameliorate vascular endothelial dysfunction in diabetic patients with hypercholesteremia and that hypercholesteremia may enhance endothelial dysfunction in these patients.