Enhancement of membrane fluidity in cholesterol-poor endothelial cells pre-treated with simvastatin

We examined the membrane fluidity of the cholesterol-poor bovine carotid artery endothelial cells (BAEC). Cholesterol-poor BAEC were obtained by treating the cells with 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A (HMG-CoA) reductase inhibitors under 10% low density lipoprotein (LDL)-deficient serum condition for 2 days. Simvastatin reduced the intracellular cholesterol content significantly at a concentration of 0.1 mu g/ml. The reduction in the cholesterol content was accompanied by the enhancement of the cell membrane fluidity which was measured by a photobleaching technique. Additional data suggested that the reduction in cholesterol content referred to the reduction in the proliferation of BAEC.