ABSTRACT
Abstract Pan-drug resistant Gram-negative bacteria, being resistant to most available antibiotics, represent a huge threat to the medical community. Colistin is considered the last therapeutic option for patients in hospital settings. Thus, we were concerned in this study to demonstrate the membrane permeabilizing activity of colistin focusing on investigating its efficiency toward those pan-drug resistant isolates which represent a critical situation. We determined the killing dynamics of colistin against pan-drug resistant isolates. The permeability alteration was confirmed by different techniques as: leakage, electron microscopy and construction of an artificial membrane model; liposomes. Moreover, selectivity of colistin against microbial cells was also elucidated. Colistin was proved to be rapid bactericidal against pan-drug resistant isolates. It interacts with the outer bacterial membrane leading to deformation of its outline, pore formation, leakage of internal contents, cell lysis and finally death. Furthermore, variations in membrane composition of eukaryotic and microbial cells provide a key for colistin selectivity toward bacterial cells. Colistin selectively alters membrane permeability of pan-drug resistant isolates which leads to cell lysis. Colistin was proved to be an efficient last line treatment for pan-drug resistant infections which are hard to treat.
Subject(s)
Humans , Cell Membrane/metabolism , Gram-Negative Bacterial Infections/microbiology , Colistin/metabolism , Drug Resistance, Multiple, Bacterial , Gram-Negative Bacteria/metabolism , Anti-Bacterial Agents/metabolism , Microbial Sensitivity Tests , Cell Membrane/drug effects , Cell Membrane Permeability , Gram-Negative Bacterial Infections/drug therapy , Colistin/pharmacology , Gram-Negative Bacteria/isolation & purification , Gram-Negative Bacteria/drug effects , Gram-Negative Bacteria/ultrastructure , Anti-Bacterial Agents/pharmacologyABSTRACT
Several antihistaminics possess antibacterial activity against a broad spectrum of bacteria. However, the exact mechanism of such activity was unclear. Hence, the aim of this study is to investigate their mechanism of antibacterial activity especially their effect upon the permeability of the bacterial cytoplasmic membrane. The effects of azelastine, cetirizine, cyproheptadine and diphenhydramine were studied using Gram-positive and Gram-negative multiresistant clinical isolates. Leakage of 260 and 280 nm UV-absorbing materials was detected upon treatment with the tested antihistaminics; indicative of membrane alteration. Using an artificial membrane model, cholesterol-free negatively-charged unilamellar liposomes, confirmed the effect of antihistaminics upon the membrane permeability both by showing an apparent membrane damage as observed microscopically and by detection of leakage of preloaded dye from the liposomes colorimatrically. Moreover, examination of the ultrastructure of cells treated with azelastine and cetirizine under the transmission electron microscope substantiated the detected abnormalities in the cell wall and membrane. Furthermore, the effect of pretreating certain isolates for both short and long periods with selected antihistaminics was followed by the viable count technique. Increased vulnerability towards further exposure to azelastine was observed in cells pretreated with azelastine for 2 days and those pretreated with azelastine or cetrizine for 30 days.