Osteoinductive and Osteoprotective Characteristics of Statins

Authors: Ivelina N. Dean and Sidney H. Stein

Abstract

Background: Statins are widely used agents for lowering cholesterol and reducing the risk for a heart attack. Recent data suggest that statins regulate bone metabolic activity by stimulating new bone formation both in vitro and in vivo. Statins were identified as a potent activator of bone morphogenic protein-2, an important promoter of osteoblastic differentiation. In addition, statins inhibit mevalonate production and isoprenoids required for osteoclastogenesis, which may contribute to their bone-sparing effect. These findings suggest that statins could be considered as potential agents for treating osteoporosis and possibly periodontal disease. Objective: The purpose of this article is to review existing literature on in vitro studies investigating bone morphogenic protein-2 promoting activity of statins and in vivo studies investigating effects of statins on bone formation and preservation in the oral cavity. Materials and methods: An electronic search of MEDLINE-PubMed was performed through December 2008 for in vitro studies addressing effects of statins on bone morphogenic protein-2 production and in vivo studies evaluating the effects of statins on bone formation and preservation. Results: Simvastatin was the agent in the majority of reviewed investigations. Most studies supported the hypothesis that simvastatin possessed osteoinductive properties mediated via bone morphogenic protein-2 and osteoprotective properties arising from the inhibition of osteoclast activation. Conclusions: Simvastatin shows potential as a therapeutic agent in the prevention and treatment of inflammation-induced bone destruction.

Download Article

Other articles in this issue

Article
Effect of Local Nifedipine Administration on Rat Gingiva Davide Bencivenni, Mirdza E. Neiders, Sebastiano Andreana, Michelle L. Moffitt and Robert E. Cohen Download
Histological Evaluation of Osseous Defects Combined with Orthodontic Tooth Movement Mai Shafik Attia, Eatemad A. Shoreibah, Samir A. Ibrahim and Hamdy A. Nassar Download
Regenerative Therapy of Osseous Defects Combined with Orthodontic Tooth Movement Mai Shafik Attia, Eatemad A. Shoreibah, Samir A. Ibrahim and Hamdy A. Nassar Download