Pitavastatin suppressed liver cancer cells in vitro and in vivo

Area of Science:

• Hepatology
• Oncology
• Pharmacology

Background:

• Pitavastatin is a statin used for lowering blood cholesterol.
• Previous studies indicated pitavastatin possesses antiglioma stem cell properties.
• The therapeutic potential of pitavastatin in liver cancer remains unexplored.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the efficacy of pitavastatin as a potential treatment for liver cancer.
• To evaluate the cytotoxic effects of pitavastatin on liver cancer cells in vitro and in vivo.
• To elucidate the mechanisms underlying pitavastatin's anti-liver cancer activity.

Main Methods:

• Cytotoxicity was assessed using cell viability and colony formation assays on Huh-7 and SMMC7721 liver cancer cell lines.
• Cell cycle progression was analyzed by flow cytometry following pitavastatin treatment.
• Apoptosis-related protein expression, including caspase cleavage, was examined, and the effect of a caspase inhibitor (Z-VAD-FMK) was evaluated.
• In vivo efficacy was tested by assessing tumor growth inhibition and survival rates in tumor-bearing mice.

Main Results:

• Pitavastatin significantly inhibited the proliferation and colony formation of liver cancer cells.
• Treatment with pitavastatin led to G1 phase cell cycle arrest and an increased proportion of sub-G1 cells, indicative of apoptosis.
• Pitavastatin induced the cleavage of caspase-9 and caspase-3, and this apoptotic effect was reversed by the caspase inhibitor Z-VAD-FMK.
• In vivo studies demonstrated that pitavastatin reduced tumor growth and improved the survival of mice with liver tumors.

Conclusions:

• Pitavastatin exhibits significant anti-liver cancer effects by inducing apoptosis and inhibiting tumor growth.
• The drug's mechanism involves caspase activation and cell cycle arrest.
• Pitavastatin represents a potential repurposed drug for liver cancer therapy.