Thrombin, a serine protease, plays an important role in the progression of atherosclerosis. How atorvastatin could limit the pro-inflammatory response to thrombin was studied in cultured rat aortic smooth muscle cells. The variations in expression of interleukin-6, heme oxygenase-1, p(22phox) and Mox-1 mRNAs were evaluated by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Interleukin-6 release was determined using the B9 cell assay. Nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-kappaB) translocation was analysed by electrophoretic mobility shift assay (EMSA) and RhoA protein translocation by Western blot. Thrombin activated interleukin-6 secretion and mRNA expression in smooth muscle cells in a dose-dependent manner. The greatest effect on mRNA expression was obtained after 1 h of stimulation. Preincubation (72 h) of the cells with various concentrations of atorvastatin prevented this effect. Simultaneous addition of mevalonate overcame this statin effect. Thrombin was without effect on p(22phox) and heme oxygenase-1 mRNA expression but, after 3 h of stimulation, induced a two-fold increase in that of Mox-1. Preincubation with atorvastatin dose-dependently downregulated this Mox-1 mRNA expression. In addition, thrombin induced NF-kappaB translocation and membrane translocation of RhoA in smooth muscle cells which were both prevented by pre-treatment of the cells by atorvastatin. These data demonstrate the ability of atorvastatin to prevent the induction by thrombin of a pro-inflammatory phenotype in smooth muscle cells.