Impact of protein prenylation inhibition on <i>Mycobacterium leprae</i> viability and IL-1β production in infected macrophages.

ABSTRACT: Leprosy is a chronic infectious disease caused by Mycobacterium leprae and M. lepromatosis. Brazil consistently ranks among the countries with the highest number of leprosy cases. Data from our group showed that M. leprae upregulates the mevalonate pathway (MP), contributing to the accumulation of cholesterol-ester-enriched lipid droplets in infected macrophages, and that the inhibition of this pathway by statins decreases bacterial intracellular viability. It has already been shown that part of the deleterious effect of statins on M. leprae survival is related to the reduced cholesterol levels, which M. leprae oxidizes to generate reductive power. According to the literature, statins, by inhibiting MP, increase the production of the inflammatory cytokine

SUBMITTER: da Silva Rocha M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12445085 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature