Lovastatin Suppresses Morphine-Induced Inflammation and Cell Death in Pheochromocytoma-Like Neural Cells (PC12)

Rahimi, Ali-Akbar; Zhaleh, Hossein

doi:10.31557/APJCP.2025.26.12.4363

Lovastatin Suppresses Morphine-Induced Inflammation and Cell Death in Pheochromocytoma-Like Neural Cells (PC12)

Document Type : Research Articles

Authors

Ali-Akbar Rahimi ¹
Hossein Zhaleh ²

¹ Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tabriz, Iran.

² Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, Bu-Ali Sina University, Hamedan, Iran.

10.31557/APJCP.2025.26.12.4363

Abstract

Background: Morphine has been shown to induce programmed cell death through the opioid μ (mu) receptor. It is shown statin has an anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and neuroprotective activities. In the present study, the effects of nanomollar concentration of lovastatin on cell death following the effect of morphine were investigated. Methods: PC12 cells were cultured in DMEM culture medium. The cell viability was measured by the MTT assay and LDH assay. The amount of nitric oxide produced was measured using Griess technique method. Concentrations of IL-1β, IL-6, IFNγ, and TNFα were measured by the ELISA method. Results: Lovastatin, in a dose-dependent manner, increased cell viability and suppressed cytotoxicity and cell death. It also decreased levels of IL-1β, IL-6, IFNγ, and TNFα as inflammatory factors compared with morphine-treated cells. Conclusion: lovastatin plays a supporting role against the destructive and cell death effects of morphine by reducing the inflammatory factors.

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