• Association of Atorvastatin and Nuclear Factor Kappa-Light-Chain Enhancer of Activated B cells (NF-κB) in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Disease
  • Najmeh Ebrahimzadeh Shahandashti,1,* Ali Nosrati Andevari,2 Durdi Qujeq,3
    1. Department of Medical Laboratory Science, Babol Branch, Islamic Azad University, Babol, Iran
    2. Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Afzalipour Faculty of Medicine, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
    3. Department of Biochemistry, School of Medicine, Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol, Iran


  • Introduction: Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) is an inflammatory disease caused by the inability of pancreatic beta cells to secrete insulin and the cells' inadequate response to insulin. Nuclear factor kappa-light-chain enhancer of activated b cells (NF-κB) is an agent activated in inflammatory conditions and exacerbates the complications of T2DM through the upregulation of inflammatory and oxidative mediators. Atorvastatin is a drug from the statin family, whose main function is to hinder cholesterol synthesis in the liver and non-liver cells. This drug is widely used to impede microvascular and macrovascular complications in T2DM patients. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between atorvastatin and NF-κB in T2DM disease.
  • Methods: This study is a review article. Using PubMed and Google Scholar databases and the keywords atorvastatin, T2DM, NF-κB, Rho, Ras, RhoA, Rac-1, and TLR4, 40 review and original articles were examined.
  • Results: Due to its hydrophobic properties, atorvastatin can easily cross the plasma membrane and enter various cells, exerting effects beyond the inhibition of cholesterol synthesis. One of these effects is the inhibition of isoprenylation of GTPases. Rho and Ras are GTPases that aggravate inflammatory and oxidative conditions. RhoA and Rac-1 are two members of the Rho family that play a vital role in the activation of NF-κB. Furthermore, Ras stimulates NF-κB activity by activating signaling pathways. Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) is a pattern recognition receptor that activates NF-κB in various cells, especially macrophages. Atorvastatin has been shown to downregulate TLR4 in macrophages.
  • Conclusion: Atorvastatin, as a hydrophobic statin, has the potential to mitigate complications of T2DM in addition to lowering cholesterol levels through the inhibition of NF-κB and TLR4 activity or expression.
  • Keywords: T2DM, NF-κB, Rho, Ras, Rac-1