The HMGCoA reductase inhibitor Lovastatin (LOV) has previously shown to abr
ogate p21ras farnesylation, which is associated with invasive and metastati
c abilities in many tumor models. Considering the scarcity of therapeutic r
esources against metastasis, our objective was to study LOV as an antimetas
tatic agent on L-TACB rat lymphoma, which as a syngeneic tumor model resemb
les more closely the situation in human cancer. We also aimed to analyze th
e effect of LOV on chemoinvasion, motility, metalloproteases secretion, ang
iogenic capacity, and adhesion to the reconstituted basement membrane Matri
gel(R). Our results showed that LOV caused no effect on cell motility, meta
lloprotease secretion and neovascularization. Conversely, LOV produced a si
gnificant inhibition of invasiveness, which could be a consequence of an im
paired cell adhesion to the basement membrane observed. These effects could
explain, at least in part, the inhibitory action of LOV on L-TACB rat lymp
homa metastases.