Fluvastatin Induces Apoptosis in Primary and Transformed Mast Cells

Statin drugs are widely employed in the clinic to reduce serum cholesterol. Because of their hydroxymethylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase antagonism, statins also reduce isoprenyl lipids necessary for the membrane anchorage and signaling of small G-proteins in the Ras superfamily. We previously found...

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Published in:The Journal of pharmacology and experimental therapeutics 2020-07, Vol.374 (1), p.104-112
Main Authors: Paez, Patrick A, Kolawole, Motunrayo, Taruselli, Marcela T, Ajith, Siddarth, Dailey, Jordan M, Kee, Sydney A, Haque, Tamara T, Barnstein, Brian O, McLeod, Jamie Josephine Avila, Caslin, Heather L, Kiwanuka, Kasalina N, Fukuoka, Yoshihiro, Le, Quang T, Schwartz, Lawrence B, Straus, David B, Gewirtz, David A, Martin, Rebecca K, Ryan, John J
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animals
Apoptosis - drug effects
Bone Marrow Cells - cytology
Cell Line
Cell Survival - drug effects
Fluvastatin - pharmacology
Humans
Inflammation, Immunopharmacology, and Asthma
Lipid Metabolism - drug effects
Mast Cells - cytology
Mast Cells - drug effects
Mast Cells - metabolism
Mice
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Summary:Statin drugs are widely employed in the clinic to reduce serum cholesterol. Because of their hydroxymethylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase antagonism, statins also reduce isoprenyl lipids necessary for the membrane anchorage and signaling of small G-proteins in the Ras superfamily. We previously found that statins suppress immunoglobulin E (IgE)-mediated mast cell activation, suggesting these drugs might be useful in treating allergic disease. Although IgE-induced function is critical to allergic inflammation, mast cell proliferation and survival also impact atopic disease and mast cell neoplasia. In this study, we describe fluvastatin-mediated apoptosis in primary and transformed mast cells. An IC was achieved between 0.8 and 3.5 μM in both cell types, concentrations similar to the reported fluvastatin serum C value. Apoptosis was correlated with reduced stem cell factor (SCF)-mediated signal transduction, mitochondrial dysfunction, and caspase activation. Complementing these data, we found that p53 deficiency or Bcl-2 overexpression reduced fluvastatin-induced apoptosis. We also noted evidence of cytoprotective autophagy in primary mast cells treated with fluvastatin. Finally, we found that intraperitoneal fluvastatin treatment reduced peritoneal mast cell numbers These findings offer insight into the mechanisms of mast cell survival and support the possible utility of statins in mast cell-associated allergic and neoplastic diseases. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT: Fluvastatin, a statin drug used to lower cholesterol, induces apoptosis in primary and transformed mast cells by antagonizing protein isoprenylation, effectively inhibiting stem cell factor (SCF)-induced survival signals. This drug may be an effective means of suppressing mast cell survival.
ISSN:0022-3565
1521-0103
DOI:10.1124/JPET.119.264234