Unveiling the Antibacterial Properties of Statins: An In Vitro Study on Helicobacter pylori

• Published in: Advances in pharmacological and pharmaceutical sciences 2024-08, Vol.2024 (1), p.6380155
• Main Authors: Ebrahimzadeh, Manijeh, Asgharpour, Fariba, Shokri Shirvani, Javad, Kazemi, Sohrab, Moghadamnia, Ali Akbar
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Amoxicillin; Anemia; Antibiotics; Antimicrobial agents; Bacterial infections; Biopsy; Drug resistance; Endoscopy; Gastric cancer; Gastrointestinal diseases; Health aspects; Helicobacter pylori; Medical research; Medicine, Experimental; Methicillin; Morphology; Pathogens; Scanning electron microscopy; Simvastatin; Statins; Streptococcus infections; Tetracycline; Tetracyclines; Type 2 diabetes; Ulcers; Variance analysis
• ISSN: 2633-4682; 2633-4690; 2633-4690
• DOI: 10.1155/2024/6380155

( ), a widespread bacterial pathogen, is associated with various gastrointestinal diseases, including gastric cancer. Statins, widely prescribed cholesterol-lowering agents, have demonstrated pleiotropic effects, including potential antimicrobial properties. This study investigated the direct antibacterial effects of three clinically approved statins, simvastatin, atorvastatin, and rosuvastatin, against isolates. strains were isolated from gastric biopsies of dyspeptic patients and identified by microbiological techniques. The minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of statins were determined using the agar dilution method, and their antimicrobial activity was evaluated by the disc diffusion method using different concentrations of simvastatin, atorvastatin, rosuvastatin, tetracycline, and amoxicillin. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was employed to examine the morphology of cells. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values ( g/mL) of atorvastatin, rosuvastatin, simvastatin, tetracycline, and amoxicillin against were 240 ± 20, 450 ± 20, 460 ± 15, 155 ± 30, and 140 ± 20, respectively. In the disc diffusion assay, atorvastatin and rosuvastatin produced significantly larger inhibition zones compared to simvastatin at all concentrations tested ( < 0.05). The inhibition zone diameters (mm) increased with higher statin concentrations, ranging from 9 ± 1.4 to 13 ± 1.4 for atorvastatin, 8 ± 0.9 to 11 ± 0.6 for rosuvastatin, and 5 ± 1.3 to 6 ± 1.4 for simvastatin at the highest tested concentration (1200  g/ml). SEM analysis revealed the characteristic spiral morphology of cells. Statins demonstrated varying degrees of antibacterial activity against isolates, with atorvastatin exhibiting the highest potency. While the observed effects were lower than those of conventional antibiotics, these findings suggest the potential of statins as adjunctive agents or alternative therapeutic options, warranting further investigation through studies and clinical trials.