Figure 3.

Simvastatin inhibited TSLP gene expression and protein production independent of the mevalonic pathway. Simvastatin (Sim) was added to the COPD bronchial epithelial cells with or without mevalonate (Mev) using two concentrations 13 or 26 μg·mL⁻¹. Mevalonate (13 μg·mL⁻¹) that commonly is used to demonstrate mevalonate dependence of anti-inflammatory statin actions in cell cultures did not reduce the simvastatin-induced inhibitory effect on dsRNA-induced TSLP gene expression and protein production nor did a doubling of the mevalonate concentration show any tendency of reducing the effect of simvastatin. The experiments with both concentrations of mevalonate are, therefore, grouped together. Data are presented as median ± IQR (n = 8). *P ≤ 0.05, **P ≤ 0.01 and ***P ≤ 0.001. n = 8 includes six COPD donors and two healthy smoking control.