Fluvastatin inhibits angiotensin II-induced nuclear factor kappa B activation in renal tubular epithelial cells through the p38 MAPK pathway

3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A (HMG-CoA) reductase inhibitors has been shown to reduce the progression of renal disease independent of cholesterol-lowering effect, but the mechanism of potential protective effect remains unclear. Here, we investigate the effect of fluvastatin on activation of nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-kappa B) induced by angiotensin II (AngII) in rat kidney tubule epithelial cells (NRK-52E). Electrophoretic mobility shift assays (EMSA) was used to detect NF-kappa B activation. Phosphorylation of cellular p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (p38MAPK) was determined by western blot analysis. AngII stimulated the DNA-binding activity of NF-kappa B and phosphorylation of p38MAPK in cultured NRK-52E cells in a dose-dependent (10(-9)-10(-6) mol/l) manner (P < 0.01). AngII (10(-6) mol/l) induced a rapid (5 min) increase of the p38MAPK phosphorylation. NF-kappa B DNA-binding activity was increased at as early as 30 min, peaked at 2 h after AngII treatment. This stimulatory effect of AngII on NF-kappa B was blocked by SB203580 (a specific inhibitor of p38MAPK). Incubation of cells with fluvastatin significantly inhibited the AngII-induced NF-kappa B activation in a dose-dependent (10(-7)-10(-5) mol/l) manner (P < 0.05). Exogenous mevalonate (10(-4)mol/l) prevented the effect of fluvastatin on NF-kappa B activation. These results suggest the fluvastatin reduced AngII-induced NF-kappa B activation via the p38MAPK pathway in NRK-52E cells. The effect is at least partly due to blocking the biosynthesis of mevalonate.