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

Background. Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori), 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. T...

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Main Authors: Manijeh Ebrahimzadeh, Fariba Asgharpour, Javad Shokri Shirvani, Sohrab Kazemi, Ali Akbar Moghadamnia
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2024-01-01
Series:Advances in Pharmacological and Pharmaceutical Sciences
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2024/6380155
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author Manijeh Ebrahimzadeh
Fariba Asgharpour
Javad Shokri Shirvani
Sohrab Kazemi
Ali Akbar Moghadamnia
author_facet Manijeh Ebrahimzadeh
Fariba Asgharpour
Javad Shokri Shirvani
Sohrab Kazemi
Ali Akbar Moghadamnia
author_sort Manijeh Ebrahimzadeh
collection DOAJ
description Background. Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori), 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 in vitro study investigated the direct antibacterial effects of three clinically approved statins, simvastatin, atorvastatin, and rosuvastatin, against H. pylori isolates. Methods. H. pylori 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 H. pylori cells. Results. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values (μg/mL) of atorvastatin, rosuvastatin, simvastatin, tetracycline, and amoxicillin against H. pylori 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 (p<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 μg/ml). SEM analysis revealed the characteristic spiral morphology of H. pylori cells. Conclusion. Statins demonstrated varying degrees of antibacterial activity against H. pylori 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 in vivo studies and clinical trials.
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spelling doaj-art-6806aa4c040f4311bdd5e607f48bdaeb2025-08-20T02:58:10ZengWileyAdvances in Pharmacological and Pharmaceutical Sciences2633-46902024-01-01202410.1155/2024/6380155Unveiling the Antibacterial Properties of Statins: An In Vitro Study on Helicobacter pyloriManijeh Ebrahimzadeh0Fariba Asgharpour1Javad Shokri Shirvani2Sohrab Kazemi3Ali Akbar Moghadamnia4Student Research CommitteeDepartment of Laboratory SciencesCancer Research CenterCellular and Molecular Biology Research CenterDepartment of Pharmacology and ToxicologyBackground. Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori), 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 in vitro study investigated the direct antibacterial effects of three clinically approved statins, simvastatin, atorvastatin, and rosuvastatin, against H. pylori isolates. Methods. H. pylori 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 H. pylori cells. Results. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values (μg/mL) of atorvastatin, rosuvastatin, simvastatin, tetracycline, and amoxicillin against H. pylori 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 (p<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 μg/ml). SEM analysis revealed the characteristic spiral morphology of H. pylori cells. Conclusion. Statins demonstrated varying degrees of antibacterial activity against H. pylori 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 in vivo studies and clinical trials.http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2024/6380155
spellingShingle Manijeh Ebrahimzadeh
Fariba Asgharpour
Javad Shokri Shirvani
Sohrab Kazemi
Ali Akbar Moghadamnia
Unveiling the Antibacterial Properties of Statins: An In Vitro Study on Helicobacter pylori
Advances in Pharmacological and Pharmaceutical Sciences
title Unveiling the Antibacterial Properties of Statins: An In Vitro Study on Helicobacter pylori
title_full Unveiling the Antibacterial Properties of Statins: An In Vitro Study on Helicobacter pylori
title_fullStr Unveiling the Antibacterial Properties of Statins: An In Vitro Study on Helicobacter pylori
title_full_unstemmed Unveiling the Antibacterial Properties of Statins: An In Vitro Study on Helicobacter pylori
title_short Unveiling the Antibacterial Properties of Statins: An In Vitro Study on Helicobacter pylori
title_sort unveiling the antibacterial properties of statins an in vitro study on helicobacter pylori
url http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2024/6380155
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AT sohrabkazemi unveilingtheantibacterialpropertiesofstatinsaninvitrostudyonhelicobacterpylori
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