INFLUENCE OF HMG-COA REDUCTASE INHIBITORS ON PLAQUE-FORMING CELL (PFC) RESPONSE IN MICE

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Effects of pravastatin and simvastatin on the humoral immune response were studied using Cunningham's method of the IgM plaque-forming cell (PFC) assay system in mice. The vehicle (0.5% CMC), pravastatin (1 mg/body : about 50 mg/kg) or simvastatin (0.5 mg/body : about 25 mg/kg) were given orally for 14 days in experiment (Exp)-I and Exp-II. The vehicle, pravastatin (0.5 mg/body : about 25 mg/kg) or simvastatin (0.25 mg/body : about 12.5 mg/kg) were given orally 29 times for 32 days in Exp-III. There were no significant differences in the mean numbers of PFCs per 10⁶ splenocytes between the pravastatin groups and the vehicle groups. In the simvastatin groups, however, there were significant reductions of the numbers of PFCs in Exp-I, Exp-II and Exp-III, as compared with the vehicle group. Based on these results, it was considered that suppressive effect on IgM antibody production was induced by simvastatin, whereas such a suppression was not observed with pravastatin.