Aim Pitavastatin (Pit) has been proved to efficiently inhibit the onset and progression of atheroscleosis. However the mechanism by which Pit exert non-lipid related effects, such as anti-inflammatory actions, is not quite clear. Our study aimed at investigating the effect of Pit on the expression of eNOS and miR-155 in LPS-stimulated HUVECs to reveal the anti-inflammatory mechanism of pitavastatin. Methods HUVECs were isolated from newborn umbilical cords and used in the experiments at passages 2-5. Cells were treated with LPS (0.05, 0.1, 1 μg/L) or LPS (0.1 μg/L) + Pit (0.01, 0.1, 1μmol/L), untreated cells were used as control. For LPS + Pit induction, cells were firstly incubated with Pit for 1 h before co-incubation with LPS for 24 h. eNOS mRNA and miR-155 were detected by RT-PCR and western blotting was used to detect protein expression of eNOS. Results Treatment of HUVECs with LPS enhanced the expression of miR-155 and reduced the expression of eNOS in mRNA and protein level in a dose-dependent manner as revealed by RT-PCR and western blotting respectively. Pitavastatin ameliorated LPS-induced endothelial dysfunction through up-regulation of eNOS expression and down-regulation of miR-155 expression. Conclusion Pitavastatin increases eNOS expression and inhibits of LPS-induced miR-155 expression. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
