Table 2. Summary of in vivo studies regarding anti-tuberculous effects of statin therapy.
M. TB; mycobacterium tuberculosis, RIF; rifampin, M. leprae; mycobacterium leprae, INH; isoniazid, PZA; pyrazinamide, TB; tuberculosis, CFU; colony-forming unit, EMB; ethambutol
| Author (year) | Study type | Objective | Animal model (age) | Antigen strain | Drug name (dosage) | Duration of treatment | Results |
| Parihar et al. (2014) | In vivo | To investigate M. TB infection in a statin-treated experimental mice model | C57BL/6 mice (8-12 weeks) | Low-dose aerosol-based M. TB H37Rv | Simvastatin or rosuvastatin (20 mg/kg/every other day) | Six weeks | Statins decreased bacilli burden (up to 10-fold) in the infected mice organs along with reduced histopathology |
| Lobato et al. (2014) | In vivo | Evaluation of the ability of atorvastatin to potentiate RIF’s anti-bacterial effect | BALB/c mice-Shepard’s model | 1 × 104 live M. leprae in 10 μL inoculated in each hind footpad | Atorvastatin (80 mg/kg/day) alone or in combination with RIF (1mg/Kg/week) | Five months | Atorvastatin synergized RIF’s anti-bacterial effect where none of the treatment strategies increased muscle damage or induced hepatotoxicity |
| Dutta et al. (2016) | In vivo | To investigate whether the addition of simvastatin to the first-line regimen (INH/RIF/PZA) shortens the duration of curative TB treatment | BALB/c mice (4-6 weeks) | Aerosol-based M. TB CDC1551 (3.7 log10) | RIF (10 mg/kg), INH (10 mg/Kg) and PZA (25 mg/kg), plus simvastatin (25 mg/kg) | Eight weeks (five days/week) | The combination therapy with simvastatin reinforced mycobacterial killing and reduced the relapse rates when mice were treated for 2.5 and 3.5 months |
| Dutta et al. (2019) | In vivo | To determine anti-TB activity of statins in mice | Female C3HeB/FeJ mice (5-6 weeks) | Aerosol-based M. TB H37Rv (∼102 CFU/mouse lung) | Simvastatin (90 mg/kg), pravastatin (50, 90 mg/kg) or fluvastatin (15 mg/kg) with INH (10 mg/kg), RIF (10 mg/kg), PZA (150 mg/kg) and EMB (100 mg/kg) | Eight weeks (five days/week) | Statin adjunctive therapy in mice had significantly reduced lung bacillary burdens |