In vitro activity: Pravastatin-Na at 10 μM inhibits the sterol synthesis at a level greater than 50% in PBMC. Pravastatin produces relaxation of isolated aortic rings, with maximum vasorelaxations of 62.8% at 10 μM and latency of ~8 min. Pravastatin (< 10 μM) stimulates NOS activity and NO release within 10 min in cultured bovine aortic endothelial cells. L-arginine potentiates NO production in response to Pravastatin (< 10 μM) in cultured bovine aortic endothelial cells. Pravastatin results in a dose-dependent inhibition of macrophage cholesterol synthesis in human monocyte derived macrophages(HMDM), mouse peritoneal macrophages (MPM) and a J-774 A.1 macrophagelike cell lines. Small concentrations of pravastatin (< 0.19 μg/mL) increases the cellular cholesterol esterification rate after incubation with LDL, but higher concentrations (< 100 μg/mL) results in an inhibition of the esterification. Pravastatin (< 0.5 mM) decreases Rho/ROCK pathway activity in human colon and ileum explants, which leads to decreased CCN2 mRNA levels. Pravastatin (<1 mM) also induces CCN2 inhibition in primary human smooth muscle cells. Pravastatin (< 0.5 mM) decreases type I collagen and fibronectin mRNA levels in both human colon and ileum explants and primary human smooth muscle cells.