In vitro activity: Prior to use in cell assays, Simvastatin needs to be activated by NaOH in EtOH treatment. Simvastatin inhibits cholesterol synthesis in mouse L-M cell (fibroblast), rat H4II E cell (liver), and human Hep G2 cell (liver) with IC50 of 19.3 nM, 13.3 nM and 15.6 nM, respectively. Simvastatin treatment leads to a dose-dependent increase in serine 473 phosphorylation of Akt within 30 minutes, with maximal phosphorylation occurring at 1.0 μM. Simvastatin (1.0 μM) enhances phosphorylation of the endogenous Akt substrate endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS), inhibits serum-free media undergo apoptosis and accelerates vascular structure formation. Simvastatin displays anti-inflammatory effects in vitro. Simvastatin (10 μM) reduces anti-CD3/anti-CD28 antibody-stimulated proliferation of PB-derived mononuclear cells and synovial fluid cells from rheumatoid arthritis blood, as well as IFN-γ release. Simvastatin (10 μM) suppresses cell-mediated macrophage TNF-γ release induced via cognate interactions by ~30%.

Kinase Assay: For assessment of Akt protein kinase activity in vitro, substrate (2 μg histone H2B or 25 μg eNOS peptide) is incubated with Akt immunoprecipitated from cell lysate using goat polyclonal anti-Akt1 antibody. Kinase reactions are initiated following the addition of Simvastatin to a final concentration of ATP (50 μM) containing 10 μCi of 32P-γATP, dithiotreitol (1 mM), HEPES buffer (20 mM, pH 7.4), MnCl2 (10 mM), MgCl2 (10 mM). After incubation for 30 min at 30°C, phosphorylated histone H2B is visualized after SDS-PAGE (15%) and autoradiography. To estimate the extent of 32P incorporation into eNOS peptides, each reaction mixture is measured by spotting onto phosphocellulose disc filter and the amount of phosphate incorporated is measured by Cerenkov counting. The wild-type peptide sequence is 1174-RIRTQSFSLQERHLRGAVPWA-1194, and the mutant eNOS peptide is identical except that serine 1179 is substituted by alanine.

Cell Assay: In mouse L-M cells (fibroblast), rat H4IIE cells (liver) and human Hep G2 cells (liver), Simvastatin inhibited cholesterol synthesis with the IC50 values of 19.3 nM, 13.3 nM and 15.6 nM, respectively.