Statins inhibit NK cell cytotoxicity by membrane raft depletion rather than inhibition of isoprenylation

To investigate the potential determinants of the pleiotropic effects of statins, we measured NK cell cytotoxicity in samples from normal subjects and patients, including patients receiving statin therapy. In a multivariate analysis, NK cell cytotoxicity was related to total plasma cholesterol concentration rather than statin use. In vitro, we investigated the role of lipid modification, specifically the effects on membrane rafts and raft-dependent signal transduction. We demonstrate that statins reduce NK cell cytotoxicity and that membrane cholesterol depletion by cyclodextrins has a similar effect. In contrast, isoprenyl transferase inhibitors had little or no effect on NK cell function. We hypothesise that the pleiotropic effects of statins reflect changes in membrane cholesterol and, specifically, the density of membrane rafts. Moreover, there is likely to be a relationship between membrane cholesterol, membrane rafts and cell function that may be involved in the pathogenesis of cardiovascular and metabolic diseases.