Simvastatin attenuates trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid-induced colitis, but not oxazalone-induced colitis

To determine whether simvastatin is able to inhibit inflammation in trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid (TNBS)-induced or oxazalone (OXA)-induced colitis.

In the prophylactic protocol, simvastatin dose-dependently suppressed the decrease in body weight and inflammatory grade of TNBS-treated mice. In contrast, in the therapeutic protocol, no significant difference in body weight reduction was observed between simvastatin-treated and control mice. IFN-gamma release from LP cells was significantly suppressed in mice receiving high-dose simvastatin in the prophylactic protocol. In contrast to TNBS colitis, even high-dose prophylactic simvastatin had no suppressive effects on either weight reduction or the inflammatory grade in OXA colitis.

Our results indicate that simvastatin negatively regulates inflammation in TNBS-induced colitis, but not in OXA-induced colitis. In TNBS-induced colitis, simvastatin suppressed the Th1-polarized immune response. Our findings suggest that simvastatin has potential effects as a therapeutic agent in human inflammatory bowel disease, particularly Crohn's disease.