Hydroxymethylglutaryl-coenzyme A (HMG-CoA) reductase is the rate-limiting enzyme in the cholesterol biosynthetic pathway and the target of the `statin · class of cholesterol-lowering drugs.1 Lovastatin is a HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor that was initially isolated from Aspergillus terreus.2 Marketed as Mevinolin™, Mevacor™, and under several other trade names, lovastatin was the first HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor to be used in the treatment of hypercholesterolemia. It is a competitive inhibitor of HMG-CoA with a Ki value of 0.6 nM for the open ring hydroxy acid form of the molecule.3 During a three week study in dogs, a dose of 8 mg/kg per day resulted in a 29% reduction in plasma cholesterol.3 Lovastatin also suppresses TNF-induced NF-κB activation (IC50 ~ 15 µM), which potentiates apoptosis in human myeloid leukemia cells and thus, may be useful in treating cancer.4
1
Tobert, J.A. Lovastatin and beyond: The history of the HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors. Nat Rev Drug Discov2517-526(2003).
2
Endo, A. The discovery and development of HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors. J Lipid Res331569-1582(1992).
3
Alberts, A.W., Chen, J., Kuron, G., et al. Mevinolin: A highly potent competitive inhibitor of hydroxymethylglutaryl-coenzyme A reductase and a cholesterol-lowering agent. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA77(7)3957-3961(1980).
4
Ahn, K.S., Sethi, G., and Aggarwal, B.B. Reversal of chemoresistance and enhancement of apoptosis by statins through down-regulation of the NF-κB pathway. Biochem Pharmacol75907-913(2008).
Formal Name
2-methyl-1S,2,3R,7S,8S,8aR-hexahydro-3,7-dimethyl-8-[2-[(2R,4R)-tetrahydro-4-hydroxy-6-oxo-2H-pyran-2-yl]ethyl]-1-naphthalenyl ester, butanoic acid, monosodium salt
Molecular Formula
C24H37O6 · Na
Formula Weight
444.5
Formulation
A crystalline solid
Purity
>98%
λmax
231, 238, 246 nm
Stability
2 years
Storage
-20°C
Shipping
Room temperature
in continental US; may vary elsewhere
Ahn, K.S., Sethi, G., and Aggarwal, B.B. Reversal of chemoresistance and enhancement of apoptosis by statins through down-regulation of the NF-κB pathway. Biochem Pharmacol75907-913(2008).
Alberts, A.W., Chen, J., Kuron, G., et al. Mevinolin: A highly potent competitive inhibitor of hydroxymethylglutaryl-coenzyme A reductase and a cholesterol-lowering agent. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA77(7)3957-3961(1980).
Endo, A. The discovery and development of HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors. J Lipid Res331569-1582(1992).
Tobert, J.A. Lovastatin and beyond: The history of the HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors. Nat Rev Drug Discov2517-526(2003).