ArticleBMC musculoskeletal disorders2012
Selected statins produce rapid spinal motor neuron loss in vitro.
Article in BMC musculoskeletal disorders, 2012. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 16 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
16 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 35 citations in OpenAlex.
- Statins and risk of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Acta neurologica Belgica · 2022Pooled it
- Cholesterol in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: a bystander, a biomarker, or a target?Atherosclerosis plus · 2026Review
- Inflammatory and neurotoxic risk of atorvastatin in diabetic peripheral neuropathy: TNF-centered evidence integrating network toxicology, scRNA-Seq, and cell validation.Frontiers in chemistry · 2026Article
- Influence of statin intervention on peripheral neuropathy in patients treated with anticancer drugs identified from the insurer database.Journal of pharmaceutical health care and sciences · 2025Article
- Lipid-Lowering Medications are Associated with Reduced Sarcopenia-Related Quality of Life in Older Adults with Hyperlipidemia.Drugs & aging · 2024Article
- The role of statins in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: protective or not?Frontiers in neuroscience · 2024Review
- Mendelian Randomization Analysis Reveals Statins Potentially Increase Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Risk Independent of Peripheral Cholesterol-Lowering Effects.Biomedicines · 2023Article
- The effects of statins on the function and differentiation of blood cells.Archives of medical science : AMS · 2023Article
- Bioinspired Three-Dimensional Human Neuromuscular Junction Development in Suspended Hydrogel Arrays.Tissue engineering. Part C, Methods · 2018Article
- Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Associated with Statin Use: A Disproportionality Analysis of the FDA's Adverse Event Reporting System.Drug safety · 2018Article
- Atorvastatin Promotes Cytotoxicity and Reduces Migration and Proliferation of Human A172 Glioma Cells.Molecular neurobiology · 2018Article
- Hypolipidemic effect of XH601 on hamsters of Hyperlipidemia and its potential mechanism.Lipids in health and disease · 2017Article
- Statins accelerate disease progression and shorten survival in SOD1(G93A) mice.Muscle & nerve · 2016Article
- Novel High Content Screen Detects Compounds That Promote Neurite Regeneration from Cochlear Spiral Ganglion Neurons.Scientific reports · 2015Article
- Article
- Chronic idiopathic axonal neuropathy and pain, treated with the endogenous lipid mediator palmitoylethanolamide: a case collection.International medical case reports journal · 2013Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
3 authors at 2 institutions in 2 countries.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundHmg-CoA reductase inhibitors (statins) are widely used to prevent disease associated with vascular disease and hyperlipidemia. Although side effects are uncommon, clinical observations suggest statin exposure may exacerbate neuromuscular diseases, including peripheral neuropathy and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Although some have postulated class-effects, prior studies of hepatocytes and myocytes indicate that the statins may exhibit differential effects. Studies of neuronal cells have been limited.
methodsWe examined the effects of statins on cultured neurons and Schwann cells. Cultured spinal motor neurons were grown on transwell inserts and assessed for viability using immunochemical staining for SMI-32. Cultured cortical neurons and Schwann cells were assessed using dynamic viability markers.
results7 days of exposure to fluvastatin depleted spinal motor neurons in a dose-dependent manner with a KD of < 2 μM. Profound neurite loss was observed after 4 days exposure in culture. Other statins were found to produce toxic effects at much higher concentrations. In contrast, no such toxicity was observed for cultured Schwann cells or cortical neurons.
conclusionsIt is known from pharmacokinetic studies that daily treatment of young adults with fluvastatin can produce serum levels in the single micromolar range. We conclude that specific mechanisms may explain neuromuscular disease worsening with statins and further study is needed.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.