[Effects of simvastatin on homocysteine-induced endothelial dysfunction and inflammatory response].
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the effects of simvastatin (SIM) on homocysteine (HCY)-induced endothelial dysfunction and inflammatory response.


METHODS
Human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) were isolated from the umbilical cords from healthy lying-in women and cultured and added with HCY of the concentrations of 0.1, 0.25, 0.5, and 1 mmol/L respectively, or HCY 0.25 mmol/L + SIM of the concentrations of 1, 10 and 20 micromol/L respectively for 1 hour. ELISA was used to detect the cell viability with MTT method. Western blotting was used to examine the protein expression of the cell inflammatory factors, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha, interleukin (IL)-6, macrophage chemoattractant protein (MCP)-1, and intercellular adhesion molecule (ICAM)-1, ELISA was used to detect the contents of the cell inflammatory factors.


RESULTS
HCY of different doses inhibited the viability of HUVECs dose-dependently (all P < 0. 01). The survival rates of the HCY-induced HUVECs pretreatment by SIM of the concentrations of 1, 10 and 20 micromol/L for 1 hour were 1.72 +/- 0.03 times, 2.54 +/- 0.09 times, and 3.14 +/- 0.11 times respectively that of the control group (all P < 0. 01). HCY of different concentration of 0.25 mmol/L increased the protein expression of TNF-alpha, IL-6, MCP-1, and ICAM-1 significantly; however, the expression levels of TNF-alpha, IL-6, MCP-1, and ICAM-1 of the 0.25 mmol/L HCY-treated HUVECs that were pretreated by SIM of the concentration of 10 micromol/L for 1 hour were, 0.23 +/- 0.05, 0.14 +/- 0.03, 0.13 +/- 0.04, and 0.21 +/- 0.07 respectively, not significantly different from those at the time of 0 hour (all P > 0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
Simvastatin inhibits the homocysteine-induced endothelial impairment and inflammatory response.
Hu
Yun-zhao
YZ
Department of Cardiology, First People's Hospital of Shunde City, Shunde 528300, China.
Dong
Yu-gang
YG
Zhai
Yu-feng
YF
Lu
Jian-hua
JH
Wu
Miao-xian
MX
Zhou
Yi
Y
He
Zong-yun
ZY
D002478:Cells, Cultured; D042783:Endothelial Cells / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000166:cytology; D005260:Female; D006710:Homocysteine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006801:Humans; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000096:biosynthesis; D016209:Interleukin-8 / Q000096:biosynthesis; D019821:Simvastatin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000096:biosynthesis; D014471:Umbilical Veins / Q000166:cytology; D019010:Vascular Cell Adhesion Molecule-1 / Q000096:biosynthesis
D015850:Interleukin-6; D016209:Interleukin-8; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D019010:Vascular Cell Adhesion Molecule-1; D006710:Homocysteine; D019821:Simvastatin