title: [Atorvastatin inhibits the H₂O₂-induced apoptosis of human vascular endothelial cells through a down-regulation of cleaved caspase-9/caspase-3].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the effect and potential mechanism of atorvastatin against H₂O₂-induced apoptosis of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (ECV-304).
  
  
  METHODS
  ECV-304 cells were pretreated with different concentrations of atorvastatin (0.1, 1 and 10 µmol/L) for 2 h, followed by an exposure to 100 µmol/L H₂O₂ for 18 h. Cellular morphology was observed under fluorescence microscope. Cellular viability and apoptosis were evaluated by methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium (MTT) and flow cytometry. Finally the expressions of cleaved caspase-3 and caspase-9 were measured by Western blot.
  
  
  RESULTS
  H₂O₂ treatment caused an obvious apoptosis of ECV-304 cells and significantly decreased the cellular viability as characterized by a high percentage (50.71%) of apoptotic cells. Atorvastatin pretreatment inhibit cellular apoptosis induced by H₂O₂ (39.45%, 20.53% and 7.83%). Western blot assay showed that H₂O₂ treatment caused a high expression of cleaved caspase-3 and caspase-9 while atorvastatin pretreatment obviously inhibited the expression in a dose-dependent manner.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Atorvastatin inhibits the H₂O₂-induced apoptosis of ECV-304 cells in a dose-dependent manner. This effect may be associated with the down-regulation of cleaved caspase-9/caspase-3.
authors.affiliation: Department of Geriatrics, First Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310003, China.
authors.forename: Zhe-rong
authors.initials: ZR
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Hang-ping
authors.initials: HP
authors.lastname: Yao
authors.forename: Su-jun
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Wei-zhen
authors.initials: WZ
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Yun-mei
authors.initials: YM
authors.lastname: Yang
mesh_terms: D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects*; D000069059:Atorvastatin; D053148:Caspase 3 / Q000378:metabolism*; D053453:Caspase 9 / Q000378:metabolism*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D015536:Down-Regulation; D042783:Endothelial Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D006538:Heptanoic Acids / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006801:Humans; D006861:Hydrogen Peroxide; D011758:Pyrroles / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D006538:Heptanoic Acids; D011758:Pyrroles; D000069059:Atorvastatin; D006861:Hydrogen Peroxide; C505407:CASP3 protein, human; C506433:CASP9 protein, human; D053148:Caspase 3; D053453:Caspase 9