Nicole Comito - Academia.edu (original) (raw)
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Antibiotic resistance and recurrence of bacterial vaginosis (BV), a polymicrobial infection, just... more Antibiotic resistance and recurrence of bacterial vaginosis (BV), a polymicrobial infection, justify the need for novel antimicrobials to counteract microbial resistance to conventional antibiotics. Previously, two series of cationic amphiphiles (CAms), which self-assemble into supramolecular nanostructures with membrane-lytic properties, were designed with hydrophilic head groups and non-polar domains. The combination of CAms with commonly prescribed antibiotics is suggested as a promising strategy for targeting microorganisms that are resistant to conventional antibiotics. Activity of the CAms against Gardnerella vaginalis ATCC 14018, a BV representative pathogen, ranged from 1.1 to 24.4 μM. Interestingly, the tested healthy Lactobacillus species, especially L. plantarum ATCC 39268, were significantly more tolerant to CAms compared to the selected pathogens. In addition, CAms prevented biofilm formation at concentrations which did not influence the normal growth ability of G. vaginalis ATCC 14018. Furthermore, the minimum biofilm bactericidal activity (MBC-B) of CAms against G. vaginalis ATCC 14018 ranged between 58.8 and 425.6 μM while much higher concentrations (≥850 μM) were required to produce ≥3 log reduction in the number of biofilm-associated lactobacilli. The conventional antibiotic metronidazole strongly synergized with all tested CAms against planktonic cells and biofilms of G. vaginalis ATCC 14018. The synergism between CAms and the tested conventional antibiotic may be considered a new, effective, and beneficial method of controlling biofilm-associated bacterial vaginosis.
Antibiotic resistance and recurrence of bacterial vaginosis (BV), a polymicrobial infection, just... more Antibiotic resistance and recurrence of bacterial vaginosis (BV), a polymicrobial infection, justify the need for novel antimicrobials to counteract microbial resistance to conventional antibiotics. Previously, two series of cationic amphiphiles (CAms), which self-assemble into supramolecular nanostructures with membrane-lytic properties, were designed with hydrophilic head groups and non-polar domains. The combination of CAms with commonly prescribed antibiotics is suggested as a promising strategy for targeting microorganisms that are resistant to conventional antibiotics. Activity of the CAms against Gardnerella vaginalis ATCC 14018, a BV representative pathogen, ranged from 1.1 to 24.4 μM. Interestingly, the tested healthy Lactobacillus species, especially L. plantarum ATCC 39268, were significantly more tolerant to CAms compared to the selected pathogens. In addition, CAms prevented biofilm formation at concentrations which did not influence the normal growth ability of G. vaginalis ATCC 14018. Furthermore, the minimum biofilm bactericidal activity (MBC-B) of CAms against G. vaginalis ATCC 14018 ranged between 58.8 and 425.6 μM while much higher concentrations (≥850 μM) were required to produce ≥3 log reduction in the number of biofilm-associated lactobacilli. The conventional antibiotic metronidazole strongly synergized with all tested CAms against planktonic cells and biofilms of G. vaginalis ATCC 14018. The synergism between CAms and the tested conventional antibiotic may be considered a new, effective, and beneficial method of controlling biofilm-associated bacterial vaginosis.