Lovastatin and valproic acid additively attenuate cell invasion in ACC-MESO-1 cells

► We examined the effects of lovastatin and valproic acid on a mesothelioma cell line. ► We found lovastatin and/or valproic acid did not reduce cell viability. ► We found lovastatin and/or valproic acid reduced cell invasion. ► We found the effect of lovastatin and valproic acid was additive when combined. ► Induction of autophagic changes was at least in part involved in this process. Malignant pleural mesothelioma is known to be widely resistant to therapy and new treatment strategies are needed. Both statins and valproic acid are known to suppress the growth of multiple cancer lines, but the effects on mesothelioma cells are not well defined. In the present study we examined the effects of lovastatin and valproic acid on ACC-MESO-1, which is a human derived mesothelioma cell line. We found that lovastatin (2μM) and/or valproic acid (5mM) did not reduce cell viability nor induce apoptosis, but reduced cell invasion. The effect was additive when combined. Furthermore it was speculated that induction of autophagic changes was at least in part involved in this process.