Bismuth Subcitrate is an antibiotic used to treat stomach ulcers associated with Helicobacter pylori, a bacterial infection.
In vitro
Colloidal Bismuth Subcitrate is crystallized in dilute HCl at pH 3, and unique assembly of three basic bismuth citrate dimeric units ([Bi(cit)2Bi]2-) leads to the formation of two-dimensional sheets and 3D polymer, the solubility of Colloidal Bismuth Subcitrate in water is found to be dramatically affected by pH, from >70 mg/mL at pH 7 to only about 1 mg/mL at pH 3. Bismuth Subcitrate is effective against the 12 C. pyloridis strains with MIC50 of 8 μg/mL. Bismuth Subcitrate combined with oxolinic acid exhibits synergistic activity against the 12 C. pyloridis strains. Colloidal bismuth subcitrate (5 mg/mL) significantly increases the frequencies of sister-chromatid exchange (SCE) and micronucleus rate in peripheral lymphocytes compared with controls in human whole blood cultures. Bismuth Subcitrate (100μM) inhibits Helicobacter pyloriF1-ATPase activity, and inhibition is prevented and reversed by the mercaptan glutathione, indicating that Bismuth Subcitrate interfere with sulfhydryl groups of the enzyme. Colloidal Bismuth Subcitrate (150 mg/mL) inhibits the lipolytic activity of C. pylori filtrate, causing a 21% reduction in lipase activity and a 60% reduction in the activity of phospholipase A.