OBJECTIVETo investigate the effect of lovastatin on proliferation and extracellular matrix secretion of hepatic stellate cells in vitro.

METHODSRat hepatic stellate cells were incubated with different concentration of lovastatin and geranyl geranypyrophosphate. Cell proliferation was assessed by MTT colorimetric assay. Cell cycle was analysed by flow cytometry. Type IV collagen and laminin were determined by ELISA, and c-jun and c-fos expression by immunocytochemistry and computer video text analysis system.

RESULTSAddition of 0.1 to 50 micromol/L lovastatin into culture medium had no toxicity to hepatic stellate cells, but could significantly inhibit hepatic stellate cell proliferation and provoke G0/G1 phase arrest in dose-dependent manner, and could also markedly inhibit the c-jun and c-fos expression and type IV collagen and laminin secretion, which could partly be antagonized by geranyl geranypyrophosphate.

CONCLUSIONSLovastatin can significantly inhibit hepatic stellate cell proliferation and type IV collagen and laminin secretion, which might be partly related to its inhibitory effect on geranyl geranypyrophosphate formation.