Anti-inflammatory effects of pitavastatin in interleukin-1β-induced SW982 human synovial cells

The present study shows the basis for the anti-inflammatory effects of pitavastatin in interleukin (IL)-1β-induced human synovial cells. The SW982 cells were pretreated with pitavastatin at different concentrations (5μM and 10μM), followed by IL-1β (10ng/mL) stimulation. The results showed that pitavastatin inhibited the expression of inflammatory mediators IL-6 and IL-8. Furthermore, pitavastatin inhibited the phosphorylation of p38, extracellular signal-related kinase (ERK), c-jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) and protein kinase B (Akt). It also suppressed the degradation of I kappa B alpha and blocked p65 translocation into the nucleus. These findings suggest that the mechanism underlying the inhibitory effects of pitavastatin on IL-1β-induced IL-6 and IL-8 release might be mediated by the suppression of mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK), Akt, and nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) signaling pathways. These results may also indicate that pitavastatin may be potentially utilized as an effective therapeutic agent for the treatment of osteoarthritis.