title: Statins inhibit A beta-neurotoxicity in vitro and A beta-induced vasoconstriction and inflammation in rat aortae.
abstract: Freshly solubilized A beta peptides synergistically increase the magnitude of the constriction induced by endothelin-1 (ET-1), via the activation of a pro-inflammatory pathway. We report that mevinolin and mevastatin, two inhibitors of the 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A (HMG-CoA) reductase are able to completely abolish the vasoactive properties of A beta in rat aortae. Mevinolin also appears to oppose the increased vascular reactivity to ET-1 induced by interleukin 1-beta and phospholipase A(2) suggesting that statins display some anti-inflammatory properties. We show that freshly solubilized A beta stimulates prostaglandin E(2) and F(2 alpha) production (by 6 and 3.6 times, respectively) in isolated rat aortae and that mevinolin completely antagonizes this effect confirming the anti-inflammatory action of mevinolin ex vivo in rat aortae. In addition, we observed that A beta vasoactivity is not mediated nor modulated by mevalonic acid suggesting that the anti-inflammatory action of the statins are not related to an inhibition of HMG-CoA reductase activity. Differentiated human neuroblastoma cells (IMR32) were used to assess the neurotoxic effect of pre-aggregated A beta by quantifying the release of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) in the cell culture medium. A beta appears to enhance LDH release by 30% in IMR32 cells, an effect that can be completely opposed by mevastatin. Taken together these data show that statins can antagonize the effect of A beta in different assays and provide new clues to understand the prophylactic action of the statins against Alzheimer's disease.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, The Roskamp Institute, University of South Florida, 3515 E. Fletcher Avenue, Tampa, FL 33613, USA. dparis@hsc.usf.edu
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Paris
authors.forename: Kirk P
authors.initials: KP
authors.lastname: Townsend
authors.forename: James
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Humphrey
authors.forename: Demian F
authors.initials: DF
authors.lastname: Obregon
authors.forename: Kiyoko
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yokota
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mullan
mesh_terms: D000527:Alprostadil / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000517:prevention & control; D016229:Amyloid beta-Peptides / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D000924:Anticholesteremic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001011:Aorta / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D015232:Dinoprostone / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D008148:Lovastatin / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008297:Male; D023421:Models, Animal; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D012016:Reference Values; D014657:Vasculitis / Q000517:prevention & control*; D014661:Vasoconstriction / Q000187:drug effects*
chemical_list: D016229:Amyloid beta-Peptides; D000924:Anticholesteremic Agents; C012258:mevastatin; D008148:Lovastatin; D000527:Alprostadil; D015232:Dinoprostone