ABSTRACT
Introduction: SARS-CoV-2 has caused a pandemic of historic proportions and continues to spread worldwide. Currently, there is no effective therapy against this virus. This article evaluated the in vitro antiviral effect of Atorvastatin against SARS-CoV-2 and also identified the interaction affinity between Atorvastatin and three SARS-CoV-2 proteins, using in silico structure-based molecular docking approach. Materials and methods: The antiviral activity of Atorvastatin against SARS-CoV-2 was evaluated by three different treatment strategies using a clinical isolate of SARS-CoV-2. The interaction of Atorvastatin with Spike, RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) and 3C-like protease (3CLpro) was evaluated by molecular docking. Results: Atorvastatin showed anti-SARS-CoV-2 activity of 79%, 54.8%, 22.6% and 25% at 31.2, 15.6, 7.9, and 3.9 {micro}M, respectively, by pre-post-treatment strategy. In addition, atorvastatin demonstrated an antiviral effect of 26.9% at 31.2 {micro}M by pre-infection treatment. This compound also inhibited SARS-CoV-2 in 66.9%, 75%, 27.9% and 29.2% at concentrations of 31.2, 15.6, 7.9, and 3.9 {micro}M, respectively, by post-infection treatment. The interaction of atorvastatin with SARS-CoV-2 Spike, RdRp and 3CL protease yielded a binding affinity of -8.5 Kcal/mol, -6.2 Kcal/mol, and -7.5 Kcal/mol, respectively. Conclusion: Our study demonstrated the in vitro anti-SARS-CoV-2 activity of Atorvastatin, mainly against the late steps of the viral replicative cycle. A favorable binding affinity with viral proteins by bioinformatics methods was also shown. Due to its low cost, availability, well-established safety and tolerability, and the extensive clinical experience of atorvastatin, it could prove valuable in reducing morbidity and mortality from COVID-19.