Cerivastatin sodium is a synthetic lipid-lowering agent and a highly potent, orally active HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor (Ki: 1.3 nM) that inhibits the proliferation and invasiveness of MDA-MB-231 cells, primarily through RhoA inhibition.

HMG-CoA reductase:ki:1.3 nM/L

Cerivastatin (5-50 ng/mL; 3 days; MDA-MB-231 cells) treatment induces a dose-dependent decrease in cell proliferation of MDA-MB-231 cells (up to 40% inhibition at 25 ng/mL). Cerivastatin (10-25 ng/mL; 18 hours) inhibits invasion of MDA-MB-231 cells through Matrigel. Cerivastatin (25 ng/mL; 18-36 hours) delocalizes RhoA and Ras from the membrane to the cytosol and induces morphological changes. Cerivastatin (25 ng/mL; 18-36 hours; MDA-MB-231 cells) treatment induces an arrest of the cell cycle in G 1/S phase after 36 h treatment. This arrest is not observed for a shorter incubation time (18 h). Cerivastatin (25 ng/mL; 18 hours; MDA-MB-231 cells) treatment induces a marked increase in the level of p21Waf1/Cip1. Cerivastatin (25 ng/mL; 12 hours; MDA-MB-231 cells) treatment increases the p21 transcript in MDA-MB-231 cells. Cerivastatin (25 ng/mL; 4-36 hours) induces inactivation of NFκB, in a RhoA inhibition-dependent manner, resulting in a decrease in urokinase and metalloproteinase-9 expression, and concomitantly increases IκB [1].

Cerivastatin is well absorbed, reaching maximal plasma levels in 1-3 hours following oral dosing. In the circulation, Cerivastatin is highly bound to plasma proteins (99.5%), with an elimination half-life of 2-4 hours. Cerivastatin is metabolized predominantly in the liver to three polar metabolites. Plasma concentrations of all metabolites are substantially lower than those of the parent drug. Elimination of metabolites is via the urine (20-25%) and feces (66-73%), while essentially no parent compound is excreted [2].