Cell lines

Mouse L-M cells (fibroblast), rat H4IIE cells (liver) and human Hep G2 cells (liver)

Preparation method

The solubility of this compound in DMSO is >10 mM. General tips for obtaining a higher concentration: Please warm the tube at 37 ℃ for 10 minutes and/or shake it in the ultrasonic bath for a while. Stock solution can be stored below - 20 ℃ for several months.

Reacting condition

13.3, 15.6 or 19.3 nM

Applications

In mouse L-M cells (fibroblast), rat H4IIE cells (liver) and human Hep G2 cells (liver), Simvastatin inhibited cholesterol synthesis with the IC50 values of 19.3 nM, 13.3 nM and 15.6 nM, respectively.

Animal models

Dogs

Dosage form

50 mg/kg/d; p.o.; q.d., for 1 month

Applications

Compared with L654,969 group, Simvastatin group showed a much lower serum cholesterol concentration. However, Simvastatin and Lovastatin showed equivalent cholesterol-lowering effects.

Other notes

Please test the solubility of all compounds indoor, and the actual solubility may slightly differ with the theoretical value. This is caused by an experimental system error and it is normal.

Simvastatin (SIM), a lactone, is white, crystalline, nonhygroscopic and powdery, practically insoluble in water (30 mcg/ml), and 0.1 (N) HCl (60 mcg/ml). Its precursor is a fermentation product of Aspergillus terreus. It is used for treating coronary heart disease, hyperlipidemia, hypercholesterolemia, atherosclerosis and stroke [1] [2]. SIM is biologically inactive. Oral ingestion hydrolyzed it into the β-hydroxyacid form which is an inhibitor of 3-hydroxy-3-methyl glutaryl coenzyme A (HMG CoA) reductase [2]. In human lung microvascular endothelial cells, it increased the amount of endothelial nitric oxide synthase mRNA [3]. Simvastatin had anti-cancer properties [1]. Its IC50 to inhibit P-glycoprotein is 9 μM [4].

HMG CoA reductase catalyses an early rate-limiting step in the biosynthesis of cholesterol [2].

In both cell lines HepG2 and Huh7, both doses of simvastatin (32 and 64 μM) had a significant inhibitory effect on tumor cell growth as compared to controls (p<0.05). This effect was time-dependent, a simvastatin pre-treatment for 48 h or 72 h significantly reduced cell growth as compared to 24 h pre-incubation (p<0.05). Simvastatin treatment for 48 or 72 h made HepG2 cells exhibit downregulation of CDK1, CDK2, CDK4 and cyclins D1 and E as compared to control tumor cells. Simvastatin treatment for 24, 48 and 72 h made relative expression of cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitors p19 and p27 enhance as compared to control tumor cells [1].

In patients with polygenic hypercholesterolemia and allocated to diet plus 20 mg/day simvastatin for 8 weeks, total cholesterol (-27%), low density lipoproteincholesterol (-33%), and monocyte expression of TNF (-49%) and IL-1( (-35%) significantly decreased (p<0.02) [5].

References:
[1].  Borna Relja, Frank Meder, Kerstin Wilhelm, et al. Simvastatin inhibits cell growth and induces apoptosis and G0/G1 cell cycle arrest in hepatic cancer cells. International Journal of Molecular Medicine, 2010, 26:735-741.
[2].  Dipika Mandal, Probir Kumar Ojha, Bankim Chandra Nandy, et al. Effect of Carriers on Solid Dispersions of Simvastatin (Sim): Physico-Chemical Characterizations and Dissolution Studies. Der Pharmacia Lettre, 2010, 2(4):47-56.
[3].  Ji-Hyun Lee, Dong-Soon Lee, Eun-Kyung Kim, et al. Simvastatin Inhibits Cigarette Smoking–induced Emphysema and Pulmonary Hypertension in Rat Lungs. American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, 2005, 172: 987-993.
[4].  C. Bradley Hare, Mai P. Vu, Carl Grunfeld, et al. Simvastatin-Nelfinavir Interaction Implicated in Rhabdomyolysis and Death. Clinical Infectious Diseases, 2002, 35:e111–2.
[5].  Domenico Ferro, Sandro Parrotto, Stefania Basili, et al. Simvastatin Inhibits the Monocyte Expression of Proinflammatory Cytokines in Patients With Hypercholesterolemia. Journal of the American College of Cardiology, 2000, 36(2): 427–431.