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Pormohammad A, Moradi M, Hommes JW, Pujol E, Naesens L, Vázquez S, Surewaard BGJ, Zarei M, Vazquez-Carrera M, Turner RJ. Novel pentafluorosulfanyl-containing triclocarban analogs selectively kill Gram-positive bacteria. Microbiol Spectr 2024; 12:e0007124. [PMID: 38700321 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.00071-24] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2024] [Accepted: 03/28/2024] [Indexed: 05/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Novel antimicrobial agents are needed to combat antimicrobial resistance. This study tested novel pentafluorosulfanyl-containing triclocarban analogs for their potential antibacterial efficacy. Standard procedures were used to produce pentafluorosulfanyl-containing triclocarban analogs. Twenty new compounds were tested against seven Gram-positive and Gram-negative indicator strains as well as 10 clinical isolates for their antibacterial and antibiofilm activity. Mechanistic investigations focused on damage to cell membrane, oxidizing reduced thiols, iron-sulfur clusters, and oxidative stress to explain the compounds' activity. Safety profiles were assessed using cytotoxicity experiments in eukaryotic cell lines. Following screening, selected components had significantly better antibacterial and antibiofilm activity against Gram-positive bacteria in lower concentrations in comparison to ciprofloxacin and gentamycin. For instance, one compound had a minimum inhibitory concentration of <0.0003 mM, but ciprofloxacin had 0.08 mM. Mechanistic studies show that these novel compounds do not affect reduced thiol content, iron-sulfur clusters, or hydrogen peroxide pathways. Their impact comes from Gram-positive bacterial cell membrane damage. Tests on cell culture toxicity and host component safety showed promise. Novel diarylurea compounds show promise as Gram-positive antimicrobials. These compounds offer prospects for study and optimization. IMPORTANCE The rise of antibiotic resistance among bacterial pathogens poses a significant threat to global health, underscoring the urgent need for novel antimicrobial agents. This study presents research on a promising class of novel compounds with potent antibacterial properties against Gram-positive bacteria, notably Staphylococcus aureus and MRSA. What sets these novel analogs apart is their superior efficacy at substantially lower concentrations compared with commonly used antibiotics like ciprofloxacin and gentamycin. Importantly, these compounds act by disrupting the bacterial cell membrane, offering a unique mechanism that could potentially circumvent existing resistance mechanisms. Preliminary safety assessments also highlight their potential for therapeutic use. This study not only opens new avenues for combating antibiotic-resistant infections but also underscores the importance of innovative chemical approaches in addressing the global antimicrobial resistance crisis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ali Pormohammad
- Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
- MHCombiotic Inc., Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Melika Moradi
- Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Science, Ahvaz, Iran
| | - Josefien W Hommes
- Calvin, Phoebe and Joan Snyder Institute for Chronic Diseases, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Eugènia Pujol
- Laboratori de Química Farmacèutica (Unitat Associada al CSIC), Facultat de Farmàcia i Ciències de l'Alimentació, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Institute of Biomedicine of the University of Barcelona (IBUB), University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Lieve Naesens
- Rega Institute for Medical Research, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Santiago Vázquez
- Laboratori de Química Farmacèutica (Unitat Associada al CSIC), Facultat de Farmàcia i Ciències de l'Alimentació, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Institute of Biomedicine of the University of Barcelona (IBUB), University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Bas G J Surewaard
- Calvin, Phoebe and Joan Snyder Institute for Chronic Diseases, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Mohammad Zarei
- Renal Division, Brigham & Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- John B. Little Center for Radiation Sciences, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Manuel Vazquez-Carrera
- Institute of Biomedicine of the University of Barcelona (IBUB), University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Pharmacology Unit, Faculty of Pharmacy and Food Sciences, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Pediatric Research Institute-Hospital Sant Joan de Déu, Esplugues de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain
- Spanish Biomedical Research Center in Diabetes and Associated Metabolic Diseases (CIBERDEM)-Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | - Raymond J Turner
- Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
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Sroor FM, El-Sayed AF, Abdelraof M. Design, synthesis, structure elucidation, antimicrobial, molecular docking, and SAR studies of novel urea derivatives bearing tricyclic aromatic hydrocarbon rings. Arch Pharm (Weinheim) 2024; 357:e2300738. [PMID: 38466125 DOI: 10.1002/ardp.202300738] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2023] [Revised: 02/04/2024] [Accepted: 02/18/2024] [Indexed: 03/12/2024]
Abstract
The targeted compounds were prepared using both (9H-fluoren-9-ylidene)hydrazine (1) and 10H-phenothiazine (2) as starting materials. The treatment of 1 or 2 with different isocyanates afforded the title compounds 7a-d, 8a, and 8b in excellent yield. All compounds were characterized and ascertained by infrared, nuclear magnetic resonance, and elemental analyses as well as single-crystal X-ray diffraction. The antimicrobial efficiency of all was tested in vitro, and a noticeable inhibition activity against Bacillus subtilis, Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Klebsiella pneumoniae, and Candida albicans was obtained by compounds 7a, 7b, 8a, and 8b. Moreover, the biofilm mechanism activity was strongly inhibited by compounds 7b and 8b for all bacterial pathogens, with a percentage ratio of more than 55%. The findings from the molecular docking simulation revealed that compounds 7a, 7b, 8a, and 8b exhibited favorable binding energies and interacted effectively with the active sites of sterol 14-demethylase, dihydropteroate synthase, gyrase B, LasR (major transcriptional activator of P. aeruginosa), and carbapenemase for C. albicans, S. aureus, B. subtills, K. pneumoniae, and P. aeruginosa, respectively. These results suggest that the compounds have the potential to inhibit the activity of these enzymes and demonstrate promising antimicrobial properties. Moreover, the in silico evaluation of drug likeness and absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion, and toxicity (ADMET) profiles for compounds 7a, 7b, 8a, and 8b demonstrated their compatibility with Lipinski's, Ghose's, Veber's, Muegge's, and Egan's rules. These findings suggest that these compounds possess favorable physicochemical properties, making them promising candidates for continued drug development efforts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Farid M Sroor
- Organometallic and Organometalloid Chemistry Department, National Research Centre, Cairo, Egypt
| | - Ahmed F El-Sayed
- Department of Microbial Genetics, National Research Centre, Biotechnology Research Institute, Giza, Egypt
- Egypt Center for Research and Regenerative Medicine (ECRRM), Cairo, Egypt
| | - Mohamed Abdelraof
- Microbial Chemistry Department, National Research Centre, Biotechnology Research Institute, Giza, Egypt
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Yang Y, Yao Z, Zhang J, Shao W, Li B, Wu H, Tang W, Zhang J. Inhibiting Peptidoglycan Hydrolase Alleviates MRSA Pneumonia Through Autolysin-Mediated MDP-NOD2 Pathway. Infect Drug Resist 2024; 17:1231-1242. [PMID: 38560705 PMCID: PMC10981453 DOI: 10.2147/idr.s455339] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2023] [Accepted: 03/15/2024] [Indexed: 04/04/2024] Open
Abstract
Background Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is a cause of staph infection that is difficult to treat because of resistance to some antibiotics. A recent study indicated that diarylurea ZJ-2 is a novel antibacterial agent against multi-drug resistant Enterococcus faecium. In this work, we refined the bactericidal mechanism of ZJ-2 as a peptidoglycan (PG) hydrolase by affecting AtlA-mediated PG homeostasis. Methods A wild-type strain (WT) and a mutant strain (ΔatlA) were used to investigate the effects of ZJ-2 on the cell wall, PG, and autolysin regulatory system by antimicrobial susceptibility testing, hemolytic toxin assay, microanalysis, autolysis assay, qRT-PCR, ELISA and mouse model of pneumonia. Results The results revealed that ZJ-2 down-regulated the expression of genes related to peptidoglycan hydrolase (PGH) (sprX, walR, atlA, and lytM), and reduced the levels of PG, muramyl dipeptide (MDP), cytokines, and hemolytic toxin, while ΔatlA interfered with the genes regulation and PG homeostasis. In the mouse MRSA pneumonia model, the same trend was observed in the nucleotide oligomerization domain protein 2 (NOD2) and relative proinflammatory factors. Conclusion ZJ-2 may act as a novel inhibitor of PG hydrolyse, disrupting autolysin-mediated PG homeostasis, and reducing inflammation by down-regulating the MDP-NOD2 pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yang Yang
- School of Medicine, Anhui University of Science and Technology, Huainan, People’s Republic of China
- Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Occupational Health, Anhui No.2 Provincial People’s Hospital, Hefei, People’s Republic of China
| | - Zongze Yao
- School of Medicine, Anhui University of Science and Technology, Huainan, People’s Republic of China
| | - Jiazhen Zhang
- School of Medicine, Anhui University of Science and Technology, Huainan, People’s Republic of China
| | - Wei Shao
- School of Pharmacy, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, People’s Republic of China
| | - Bo Li
- Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Occupational Health, Anhui No.2 Provincial People’s Hospital, Hefei, People’s Republic of China
| | - Huihui Wu
- Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Occupational Health, Anhui No.2 Provincial People’s Hospital, Hefei, People’s Republic of China
| | - Wenjian Tang
- School of Pharmacy, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, People’s Republic of China
| | - Jing Zhang
- Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Occupational Health, Anhui No.2 Provincial People’s Hospital, Hefei, People’s Republic of China
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Singh A, Kaur K, Mohana P, Singh K, Sharma A, Prajapati J, Goswami D, Khosla N, Kaur U, Kaur R, Kaur R, Rana A, Kour S, Ohri P, Arora S, Chadha R, Singh Bedi PM. The development of thymol-isatin hybrids as broad-spectrum antibacterial agents with potent anti-MRSA activity. RSC Med Chem 2024; 15:234-253. [PMID: 38283229 PMCID: PMC10809352 DOI: 10.1039/d3md00580a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2023] [Accepted: 11/17/2023] [Indexed: 01/30/2024] Open
Abstract
Bacterial resistance toward available therapeutic agents has become a nightmare for the healthcare system, causing significant mortality as well as prolonged hospitalization, thereby needing the urgent attention of research groups working on antimicrobial drug development worldwide. Molecular hybridization is a well-established tool for developing multifunctional compounds to tackle drug resistance. Inspired by the antibacterial profiles of isatin and thymol, along with the efficiency of a triazole linker in molecular hybridization, herein, we report the design, synthesis and antibacterial activity of a novel series of triazole tethered thymol-isatin hybrids. Most of the hybrids exhibited a broad-spectrum antibacterial efficacy against standard human pathogenic as well as clinically isolated multidrug-resistant bacterial strains listed in the WHO's 'priority pathogen' list and also in the ESKAPE group. Among them, hybrid compound AS8 was the most effective against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MIC = 1.9 μM and MBC = 3.9 μM), exhibiting biofilm inhibitory potential. AS8 exhibited dehydrosqualene synthase (CrtM) inhibitory potential in MRSA and decreased the production of virulence factor staphyloxanthin, which is one of the key mechanisms of its anti-MRSA efficacy, which was further supported by molecular docking and simulation studies. Moreover, AS8 was found to be non-toxic and showed a potent in vivo antibacterial efficacy (90% survival at 10 mg kg-1) as well as a modulated immune response in the larva-based (Galleria mellonella) model of systemic infections. Overall findings confirmed that AS8 can be a promising candidate or take the lead in the treatment and further drug development against drug-resistant infectious diseases, especially against MRSA infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Atamjit Singh
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Guru Nanak Dev University Amritsar Punjab 143005 India
| | - Kirandeep Kaur
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Guru Nanak Dev University Amritsar Punjab 143005 India
| | - Pallvi Mohana
- Department of Botanical and Environmental Sciences, Guru Nanak Dev University Amritsar Punjab 143005 India
| | - Karanvir Singh
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Guru Nanak Dev University Amritsar Punjab 143005 India
| | - Aman Sharma
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Guru Nanak Dev University Amritsar Punjab 143005 India
| | - Jignesh Prajapati
- Department of Microbiology & Biotechnology, University School of Sciences, Gujrat University Ahmedabad Gujrat 380009 India
| | - Dweipayan Goswami
- Department of Microbiology & Biotechnology, University School of Sciences, Gujrat University Ahmedabad Gujrat 380009 India
| | - Neha Khosla
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, Guru Nanak Dev University Amritsar Punjab 143005 India
| | - Uttam Kaur
- University School of Business Management, Chandigarh University Gharuan 140413 India
| | - Rajanbir Kaur
- Department of Botanical and Environmental Sciences, Guru Nanak Dev University Amritsar Punjab 143005 India
| | - Rajinder Kaur
- Department of Botanical and Environmental Sciences, Guru Nanak Dev University Amritsar Punjab 143005 India
| | - Abhineet Rana
- EMC Super Speciality Hospital Amritsar Punjab 143005 India
| | - Sandeep Kour
- Department of Zoology, Guru Nanak Dev University Amritsar Punjab 143005 India
| | - Puja Ohri
- Department of Zoology, Guru Nanak Dev University Amritsar Punjab 143005 India
| | - Saroj Arora
- Department of Botanical and Environmental Sciences, Guru Nanak Dev University Amritsar Punjab 143005 India
| | - Renu Chadha
- University Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Punjab University Chandigarh 160014 India
| | - Preet Mohinder Singh Bedi
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Guru Nanak Dev University Amritsar Punjab 143005 India
- Drug and Pollution Testing Laboratory, Guru Nanak Dev University Amritsar Punjab 143005 India
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Zhang Z, Luo Z, Sun Y, Deng D, Su K, Li J, Yan Z, Wang X, Cao J, Zheng W, Ang S, Feng Y, Zhang K, Ma H, Wu P. Discovery of novel cannabidiol derivatives with augmented antibacterial agents against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. Bioorg Chem 2023; 141:106911. [PMID: 37832223 DOI: 10.1016/j.bioorg.2023.106911] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2023] [Revised: 10/04/2023] [Accepted: 10/06/2023] [Indexed: 10/15/2023]
Abstract
Drug-resistant bacterium infections are a severe threat to public health and novel antimicrobial agents combating drug-resistant bacteria are an unmet medical need. Although cannabidiol (CBD) has been reported to show antibacterial effects, whether its antibacterial activity against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) can be improved remains unclear. Herein, a series of novel CBD derivatives were designed and synthesized using various chemical approaches including amidation, Friedel-Crafts alkylation, and Negishi cross-coupling reaction for the modifications at the C-7, C-2', C-4', and C-6' positions of CBD skeleton. Derivative 21f showed augmented antibacterial activity against MRSA with a minimum inhibitory concentration of 4 μM without cytotoxic effect in microglia BV2 cells. Further mechanistic studies suggested that 21f inhibited the formation of biofilms, induced excess reactive oxygen species, and reduced bacterial metabolism, which collectively led to the acceleration of bacterial death. Findings from this study expand the understanding of CBD derivatives as promising antibacterial agents, which provides useful information for the development of cannabinoid-based antibacterial agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhen Zhang
- School of Biotechnology and Health Sciences, Wuyi University, Jiangmen 529020, PR China; International Healthcare Innovation Institute (Jiangmen), Jiangmen 529040, PR China; Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Large Animal Models for Biomedicine, School of Biotechnology and Health Sciences, Wuyi University, Jiangmen 529020, PR China
| | - Zhujun Luo
- School of Biotechnology and Health Sciences, Wuyi University, Jiangmen 529020, PR China; International Healthcare Innovation Institute (Jiangmen), Jiangmen 529040, PR China; Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Large Animal Models for Biomedicine, School of Biotechnology and Health Sciences, Wuyi University, Jiangmen 529020, PR China
| | - Ying Sun
- School of Biotechnology and Health Sciences, Wuyi University, Jiangmen 529020, PR China; International Healthcare Innovation Institute (Jiangmen), Jiangmen 529040, PR China; Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Large Animal Models for Biomedicine, School of Biotechnology and Health Sciences, Wuyi University, Jiangmen 529020, PR China
| | - Duanyu Deng
- School of Biotechnology and Health Sciences, Wuyi University, Jiangmen 529020, PR China; International Healthcare Innovation Institute (Jiangmen), Jiangmen 529040, PR China; Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Large Animal Models for Biomedicine, School of Biotechnology and Health Sciences, Wuyi University, Jiangmen 529020, PR China
| | - Kaize Su
- School of Biotechnology and Health Sciences, Wuyi University, Jiangmen 529020, PR China; International Healthcare Innovation Institute (Jiangmen), Jiangmen 529040, PR China; Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Large Animal Models for Biomedicine, School of Biotechnology and Health Sciences, Wuyi University, Jiangmen 529020, PR China
| | - Jinxuan Li
- School of Biotechnology and Health Sciences, Wuyi University, Jiangmen 529020, PR China; International Healthcare Innovation Institute (Jiangmen), Jiangmen 529040, PR China; Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Large Animal Models for Biomedicine, School of Biotechnology and Health Sciences, Wuyi University, Jiangmen 529020, PR China
| | - Zhenping Yan
- School of Biotechnology and Health Sciences, Wuyi University, Jiangmen 529020, PR China; International Healthcare Innovation Institute (Jiangmen), Jiangmen 529040, PR China; Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Large Animal Models for Biomedicine, School of Biotechnology and Health Sciences, Wuyi University, Jiangmen 529020, PR China
| | - Xu Wang
- School of Biotechnology and Health Sciences, Wuyi University, Jiangmen 529020, PR China; International Healthcare Innovation Institute (Jiangmen), Jiangmen 529040, PR China; Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Large Animal Models for Biomedicine, School of Biotechnology and Health Sciences, Wuyi University, Jiangmen 529020, PR China
| | - Jifan Cao
- School of Biotechnology and Health Sciences, Wuyi University, Jiangmen 529020, PR China; International Healthcare Innovation Institute (Jiangmen), Jiangmen 529040, PR China; Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Large Animal Models for Biomedicine, School of Biotechnology and Health Sciences, Wuyi University, Jiangmen 529020, PR China
| | - Wende Zheng
- School of Biotechnology and Health Sciences, Wuyi University, Jiangmen 529020, PR China; International Healthcare Innovation Institute (Jiangmen), Jiangmen 529040, PR China; Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Large Animal Models for Biomedicine, School of Biotechnology and Health Sciences, Wuyi University, Jiangmen 529020, PR China
| | - Song Ang
- School of Biotechnology and Health Sciences, Wuyi University, Jiangmen 529020, PR China; International Healthcare Innovation Institute (Jiangmen), Jiangmen 529040, PR China; Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Large Animal Models for Biomedicine, School of Biotechnology and Health Sciences, Wuyi University, Jiangmen 529020, PR China
| | - Yanxian Feng
- School of Biotechnology and Health Sciences, Wuyi University, Jiangmen 529020, PR China; International Healthcare Innovation Institute (Jiangmen), Jiangmen 529040, PR China; Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Large Animal Models for Biomedicine, School of Biotechnology and Health Sciences, Wuyi University, Jiangmen 529020, PR China
| | - Kun Zhang
- School of Biotechnology and Health Sciences, Wuyi University, Jiangmen 529020, PR China; International Healthcare Innovation Institute (Jiangmen), Jiangmen 529040, PR China; Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Large Animal Models for Biomedicine, School of Biotechnology and Health Sciences, Wuyi University, Jiangmen 529020, PR China.
| | - Hang Ma
- School of Biotechnology and Health Sciences, Wuyi University, Jiangmen 529020, PR China; International Healthcare Innovation Institute (Jiangmen), Jiangmen 529040, PR China; Bioactive Botanical Research Laboratory, Department of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, USA; Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Large Animal Models for Biomedicine, School of Biotechnology and Health Sciences, Wuyi University, Jiangmen 529020, PR China.
| | - Panpan Wu
- School of Biotechnology and Health Sciences, Wuyi University, Jiangmen 529020, PR China; International Healthcare Innovation Institute (Jiangmen), Jiangmen 529040, PR China; Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Large Animal Models for Biomedicine, School of Biotechnology and Health Sciences, Wuyi University, Jiangmen 529020, PR China.
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Wei M, Wang P, Li T, Wang Q, Su M, Gu L, Wang S. Antimicrobial and antibiofilm effects of essential fatty acids against clinically isolated vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2023; 13:1266674. [PMID: 37842001 PMCID: PMC10570806 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2023.1266674] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2023] [Accepted: 09/13/2023] [Indexed: 10/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Enterococcus faecium is a leading cause of hospital-acquired infections, which has become a serious public health concern. The increasing incidence of vancomycin-resistant E. faecium (VRE-fm) raises an urgent need to find new antimicrobial agents as a complement to traditional antibiotics. The study aimed to evaluate the antimicrobial and antibiofilm activity of essential fatty acids (EFAs) against VRE-fm, and further explore the molecular mechanism of the antibiofilm activity of EFAs. Method The microdilution broth method was used for antimicrobial susceptibility testing with traditional antibiotics and EFAs, including α-linolenic acid (ALA), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), linoleic acid (LOA), γ-linolenic acid (GLA), and arachidonic acid (AA). The effect of EFAs on cell morphology of VRE-fm was investigated by scanning electron microscopy. The crystal violet method was used to evaluate the antibiofilm activities of EFAs against VRE-fm. Furthermore, the expression of biofilm-related genes (acm, atlA, esp, and sagA) of VRE-fm isolates under the action of GLA was analyzed using quantitative reverse transcription PCR (qRT-PCR) assay. Results VRE-fm isolates were highly resistant to most traditional antibiotics, only highly susceptible to quinupristin-dalfopristin (90.0%), tigecycline (100%), and linezolid (100%). EPA, DHA, and GLA exhibited excellent antimicrobial activity. The MIC50/90 of EPA, DHA, and GLA were 0.5/1, 0.25/0.5, and 0.5/1 mM, respectively. SEM imaging showed that strain V27 adsorbed a large number of DHA molecules. Furthermore, all EFAs exhibited excellent inhibition and eradication activities against VRE-fm biofilms. The biofilm inhibition rates of EFAs ranged from 45.3% to 58.0%, and eradication rates ranged from 54.1% to 63.4%, against 6 VRE-fm isolates with moderate biofilm formation ability. GLA exhibited remarkable antibiofilm activity against VRE-fm isolates. The qRT-PCR analysis showed that GLA could significantly down-regulate the expression of the atlA gene (P < 0.01) of VRE-fm. Conclusion DHA showed the strongest antibacterial activity, while GLA showed the strongest antibiofilm effect among the EFAs with antibacterial activity. Our novel findings indicate that the antibiofilm activity of GLA may be through down-regulating the atlA gene expression in VRE-fm. Therefore, DHA and GLA had the potential to be developed as therapeutic agents to treat infections related to multiple antimicrobial-resistant E. faecium.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ming Wei
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology, Beijing Institute of Respiratory Medicine and Beijing Chao-Yang Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Peng Wang
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology, Beijing Institute of Respiratory Medicine and Beijing Chao-Yang Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Tianmeng Li
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology, Beijing Institute of Respiratory Medicine and Beijing Chao-Yang Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Qiangyi Wang
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Beijing Hospital, National Center of Gerontology, Institute of Geriatric Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Mingze Su
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Beijing Tongren Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Li Gu
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology, Beijing Institute of Respiratory Medicine and Beijing Chao-Yang Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Shuai Wang
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology, Beijing Institute of Respiratory Medicine and Beijing Chao-Yang Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
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