Open AccessStatins and Antimicrobial Effects: Simvastatin as a Potential Drug against Staphylococcus aureus Biofilm
Author(s) -
Talita Signoreti Graziano,
Maria Cláudia Cuzzullin,
Gilson César Nobre Franco,
Humberto Osvaldo Schwartz-Filho,
Eduardo Dias de Andrade,
Francisco Carlos Groppo,
Karina CogoMüller
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
plos one
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.99
H-Index - 332
ISSN - 1932-6203
DOI - 10.1371/journal.pone.0128098
Subject(s) - simvastatin , staphylococcus aureus , biofilm , microbiology and biotechnology , antimicrobial , vancomycin , pseudomonas aeruginosa , enterococcus faecalis , chemistry , medicine , pharmacology , biology , bacteria , genetics
Statins are important lipid-lowering agents with other pleiotropic effects. Several studies have explored a possible protective effect of statins to reduce the morbidity and mortality of many infectious diseases. Staphylococcus aureus is one of the main pathogens implicated in nosocomial infections; its ability to form biofilms makes treatment difficult. The present study observed the MIC of atorvastatin, pravastatin and simvastatin against S . aureus , Pseudomonas aeruginosa , Escherichia coli and Enterococcus faecalis . Simvastatin was the only agent with activity against clinical isolates and reference strains of methicilin-sensitive S . aureus (MSSA) and methicillin-resistant S . aureus (MRSA). Thus, the effects of simvastatin on the growth, viability and biofilm formation of S . aureus were tested. In addition, a possible synergistic effect between simvastatin and vancomycin was evaluated. Simvastatin’s MIC was 15.65 µg/mL for S . aureus 29213 and 31.25 µg/mL for the other strains of S . aureus . The effect of simvastatin was bactericidal at 4xMIC and bacteriostatic at the MIC concentration. No synergistic effect was found between simvastatin and vancomycin. However, the results obtained against S . aureus biofilms showed that, in addition to inhibiting adhesion and biofilm formation at concentrations from 1/16xMIC to 4xMIC, simvastatin was also able to act against mature biofilms, reducing cell viability and extra-polysaccharide production. In conclusion, simvastatin showed pronounced antimicrobial activity against S . aureus biofilms, reducing their formation and viability.