Enhancing antibiotic activity: a strategy to control Acinetobacter infections

摘要: OBJECTIVES The emergence of antibiotic resistance has seriously diminished efficacy and an increasing number infections are becoming difficult to treat. One approach the restoration activity is administer them in conjunction with non-antibiotic compounds that depress mechanisms. We describe ellagic tannic acids as adjuvants enhance aminocoumarin antibiotics against multidrug-resistant (MDR) Acinetobacter baumannii. METHODS Adjuvant plant phenolics was tested using growth inhibition assays combination subinhibitory concentrations novobiocin. antibacterial susceptibilities susceptible MDR A. baumannii a variety were determined absence presence acids. effect on bacterial outer membrane function examined by fluorescence dye 1-N-phenylnaphthylamine (NPN). efflux pump measured intracellular accumulation ethidium bromide (EtBr) pyronin Y. RESULTS At 40 microM, enhanced novobiocin, coumermycin, chlorobiocin, rifampicin fusidic acid There no increases uptake NPN or EtBr after strains treated these adjuvants; however, Y cells significantly increased, suggesting act inhibitors. CONCLUSIONS Susceptibility use such might provide effective treatments for resistant Gram-negative infections.