To investigate the in vitro interference of cefotaxime at subinhibitory con-centrations [sub-minimal inhibitory concentrations (MIC)] on biofilm formation by nontypeable Haemophilus influenzae (NTHi).
Methods:
The interference of subinhibitory concentrations of cefotaxime on biofilm formation of the clinical strong-biofilm forming isolates of NTHi was evaluated by a microtiter plate biofilm formation assay. The effect of sub-MIC cefotaxime on bacterial cell-surface hydrophobicity was determined using a standard microbial adhesion to n-hexadecane test. Additionally, the effects on bacterial adherence to humanfibronectin and expression of bacterial adhesins were also investigated.
Taken together, our results indicate that sub-MIC cefotaxime interferes with the formation of NTHi biofilm, and this effect is feasibly related to the interference with cell-surface hydrophobicity, fibronectin-binding activity as well as alteration of the P2 and P6 gene expression. The findings of the present study therefore provide a rationale for the use of subinhibitory concentrations of cefotaxime for treatment of NTHi-related diseases.