title: Lovastatin induces neuroprotection by inhibiting inflammatory cytokines in 6-hydroxydopamine treated microglia cells.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study aims to investigate the impact of lovastatin on neuroinflammation in 6-OHDA-treated microglia cells.
  
  
  METHODS
  6-Hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA)-treated microglia cells were used to investigate the neuroprotective nature of lovastatin. After incubation with 6-OHDA and/or lovastatin for 24 h, test kits were used to detect the levels of LDH and glutamate, which were released from PC12 cells exposed to different culture media. The mRNA levels of TNF-α, IL-6 and IL-1β were determined by RT-PCR and the protein levels were analyzed by Western blot.
  
  
  RESULTS
  LDH and glutamate levels in 6-OHDA-incubated PC12 cells increased, when compared with those in the controls, while incubation with lovastatin inhibited this elevation. The expression levels of TNF-α IL-6 and IL-1β were significantly upregulated after treatment with 6-OHDA. The 6-OHDA-stimulated mRNA and protein levels of TNF-α IL-6 and IL-1β were reduced by lovastatin.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results suggest that Lovastatin is able to induce neuroprotection by inhibiting inflammatory cytokines. The data provide direct evidence of the potential application of lovastatin for the treatment of neuroinflammatory diseases.
authors: Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Henan University of Science and Technology Jinghua Road 24, Luoyang 471003, Henan, P.R. China.
authors: Jun-Qiang
authors: JQ
authors: Yan
authors: Department of Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Henan University of Science and Technology Jinghua Road 24, Luoyang 471003, Henan, P.R. China.
authors: Jia-Chun
authors: JC
authors: Sun
authors: Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Henan University of Science and Technology Jinghua Road 24, Luoyang 471003, Henan, P.R. China.
authors: Ming-Ming
authors: MM
authors: Zhai
authors: Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Henan University of Science and Technology Jinghua Road 24, Luoyang 471003, Henan, P.R. China.
authors: Li-Niu
authors: LN
authors: Cheng
authors: Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Henan University of Science and Technology Jinghua Road 24, Luoyang 471003, Henan, P.R. China.
authors: Xiao-Li
authors: XL
authors: Bai
authors: Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Henan University of Science and Technology Jinghua Road 24, Luoyang 471003, Henan, P.R. China.
authors: Cui-Ling
authors: CL
authors: Feng
keywords: Parkinson’s disease; inflammatory cytokines; lovastatin; microglia