Effects of lovastatin on proliferation of rats cardiac fibroblasts induced by aldosterone in vitro

AIM: To investigate the effects of lovstatin on the proliferation of rats cardiac fibroblasts induced by aldosterone. METHODS: Cardiac fibroblasts of neonatal Sprague-Dawley rats were isolated with trypsin digestion method. 3H-TdR incorporation, MTT colorimetry and flow cytometric analysis were carried out to detect DNA synthesis, cell number and cell cycle, respectively. RESULTS: (1)Lovstatin (0.1,1,10 μmol·L -1) decreased 3H-TdR incorporation and A 490 values of cardiac fibroblasts (P0.05). Moreover, 3H-TdR incorporation ((1 292±s 152), (1 030±163)counts·min -1) )and A 490 values(0.287± 0.008,0.231±0.007) of 1 μmol·L -1 lovastatin group and 10 μmol·L -1 lovastatin group were both lower than those of control group, 0.1 μmol·L -1 lovstatin group and 0.01 μmol·L -1 lovstatin group.(2)Lovstatin groups had increased percentage of cells in G 0/G 1 phase and reduced percentage of cells in S phase, PI values and DNA contents in a dose-dependent manner. (3) The inhibitory effect of lovstatin was almost completely reversed by mevalonate (1 mmol·L -1). CONCLUSION: The results indicate that lovstatin can significantly inhibit cardiac fibroblasts proliferation and DNA contents induced by aldosterone, provoke G 1/S transition arrest relating to inhibition of mevalonate pathway.