OR13 - Evaluating the Osteogenic Effects of Simvastatin on Human Osteoblasts

Abstract: Hydroxymethylglutaryl-coenzyme-A reductase inhibitors (HMG-Co-A), statin, are known to reduce plasma cholesterol levels. Interestingly, Simvastatin was previously reported to have a positive effect on the proliferation and osteogenic differentiation of human osteoblasts. However, the biocompatibility of Simvastatin has not been studied thoroughly. The purpose of this study was to compare the effectiveness of different concentrations of Simvastatin on the attachment, proliferation, cell viability and mineralization of human osteoblasts. Human osteoblasts were cultured with Simvastatin at various concentrations of 1,10, 25, 50, 75, 100 mmol/L, and 0 mmol/L was used as a control. The cell attachment was investigated at 9 hours. The proliferation rate, cell viability and mineralization were investigated at 7, 14 and 21 days. Crystal violet staining was used to assess attachment efficiency and proliferation rate. Cell viability was determined by measuring the activity of the mitochondrial dehydrogenase enzyme. Mineralization of the cultures was measured by Alizarin Red staining. Statistical analysis was performed using ANOVA. P-values ≤0.05 were considered statistically significant. The cell attachment results showed no statistical significance when comparing the concentrations to the control (p>0.05). All tested concentrations showed significant decrease in the proliferation, cell viability and mineralization (p < 0.001). In conclusion, Simvastatin downregulated the proliferation rate, cell viability and mineralization of human osteoblasts.