ENHANCEMENT OF MIGRATION ACTIVITY IN CHOLESTEROL-POOR ENDOTHELIAL-CELLS BY PRE-TREATING WITH HMG-COA REDUCTASE INHIBITORS

When bovine endothelial cells isolated from carotid arteries were cult ured with a low density lipoprotein(LDL)-deficient serum for 2 days, t heir intracellular free cholesterol levels decreased. Under this condi tion, exposure of the endothelial cells to simvastatin and pravastatin , HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors used clinically, resulted in further de crease in the free cholesterol levels. The migration activity was enha nced in the cells cultured with the LDL-deficient serum and it was mor e enhanced in the cells treated with HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors unde r the LDL-deficient serum condition. These results suggest that choles terol plays a negative role in wound healing in arterial walls and act s as one of the risk factors for arteriosclerosis. (C) 1994 Academic P ress, Inc.