Simvastatin Modulates Interaction Between Vascular Smooth Muscle Cell/Macrophage and TNF-α-Activated Endothelial Cell

J Cardiovasc Pharmacol. 2018 May;71(5):268-274. doi: 10.1097/FJC.0000000000000567.

Abstract

Cellular interactions between endothelial cell (EC) and vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC)/macrophages seem to be greatly changed under inflammatory conditions. Although simvastatin could regulate inflammatory transcription factors in EC and VSMC and also could inhibit leukocyte-endothelium interaction, whether it could modulate VSMC/macrophage functions that are induced by tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α)-activated EC remained unclear. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of simvastatin on VSMC/macrophage functions, which are induced by TNF-α-activated EC in coculture system in vitro. The results showed that under noncontacting conditions, simvastatin could reduce the proliferation, apoptosis, and TNF-α, IL-6, and vascular endothelial growth factor secretion both in VSMC and macrophage, which is induced by TNF-α-activated EC. And a hypothesis that simvastatin regulates the interactions and the soluble factors between EC and VSMC/macrophages could be drawn. And that might be a potential anti-atherosclerosis mechanism of simvastatin.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Anti-Inflammatory Agents / pharmacology*
  • Apoptosis / drug effects
  • Cell Communication / drug effects*
  • Cell Proliferation / drug effects
  • Cells, Cultured
  • Coculture Techniques
  • Endothelial Cells / drug effects*
  • Endothelial Cells / metabolism
  • Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors / pharmacology*
  • Interleukin-6 / metabolism
  • Macrophages / drug effects*
  • Macrophages / metabolism
  • Muscle, Smooth, Vascular / drug effects*
  • Muscle, Smooth, Vascular / metabolism
  • Myocytes, Smooth Muscle / drug effects*
  • Myocytes, Smooth Muscle / metabolism
  • Rats, Sprague-Dawley
  • Signal Transduction / drug effects
  • Simvastatin / pharmacology*
  • Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / metabolism
  • Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / pharmacology*
  • Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / metabolism

Substances

  • Anti-Inflammatory Agents
  • Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors
  • Il6 protein, rat
  • Interleukin-6
  • Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha
  • Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A
  • vascular endothelial growth factor A, rat
  • Simvastatin