Zinc and copper rescue statin growth inhibition in cultured mammalian cells. HeLa cells were treated with statin in combination with lithium (negative control), copper, zinc and mevalonic acid (positive control). Cell growth was measured by calcein dye uptake. Statin treatment produced a significant growth inhibition. Mevalonic acid effected complete rescue (***, p < 0.001), whereas copper (*, p <0.05) and zinc (*, p < 0.05) led to a partial rescue. Lithium, which did not produce a rescue effect in yeast, failed to ameliorate statin growth inhibition in HeLa cells.