NOS3 and endothelial dysfunction: We have currently shown that in these same animals, simvastatin impaired the ability of the atherogenic diet to cause endothelial dysfunction in blood vessels, and this was not associated with an increase in aortic endothelial eNOS, changes in the phosphorylation of eNOS at the threonine 495 site or serine 1177, but simvastatin treatment significantly reduced endothelial caveolin-1 by 35% 35.