[Pravastatin inhibits the expression of syndecan-4 protein in tumor necrosis factor-alpha-induced rat vascular smooth muscle cells in vitro].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of pravastatin on the proliferation of rat vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) and expression of syndecan-4 protein induced by tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha). METHODS: VSMCs cultured in vitro were exposed to 20 ng/ml TNF-alpha, 10 micromol/ml pravastatin, 20 micromol/ml pravastatin, 10 micromol/ml pravastatin with 20 ng/ml TNF-alpha, or 20 micromol/ml pravastatin with 20 ng/ml TNF-alpha for 24 h. The proliferation of the VSMCs was determined by non-radioactive MTS/PMS assay and the expression of syndecan-4 protein was detected by Western blotting using anti-syndecan-4 antibody. RESULTS: Compared to the control group, TNF-alpha at 20 ng/ml significantly stimulated the proliferation of rat VSMCs (P<0.05). Pravastatin alone produced no obvious effect on VSMCs growth (P>0.05), but significantly inhibited TNF-alpha-induced VSMC proliferation (P<0.05). The expression of syndecan-4 protein in the VSMCs was significantly enhanced by 20 ng/ml TNF-alpha (P<0.01). Pravastatin alone did not affect the expression of syndecan-4 protein (P>0.05), but significantly inhibited TNF-alpha-induced enhancement of syndecan-4 protein expression (P<0.01). CONCLUSION: Pravastatin can inhibit the proliferation and syndean-4 protein expression in rat VSMCs induced by TNF-alpha in vitro.