Effects of various types of Triton X on the susceptibilities of methicillin-resistant staphylococci to oxacillin.
We examined the effect of six types of the nonionic detergent Triton X on the susceptibilities of methicillin-resistant staphylococci to oxacillin. We used five methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus isolates and 17 methicillin-resistant coagulase-negative staphylococci isolates. All strains of S. aureus, S. epidermidis and S. sciuri had enhanced susceptibility to oxacillin following exposure to the types of Triton X having 7-13 polymerized ethylene oxides. These strains were altered from homogeneously resistant to heterogeneously resistant by Triton X-100. Those types of Triton X that affected the resistance level also promoted the release of lipoteichoic acid. These results and those of previous studies suggest that Triton X might act on factors other than the mecA or femA products.
Suzuki
J
J
Department of Pediatric Dentistry, Hiroshima University, School of Dentistry, Japan.
Komatsuzawa
H
H
Sugai
M
M
Ohta
K
K
Kozai
K
K
Nagasaka
N
N
Suginaka
H
H
D003902:Detergents / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D016106:Methicillin Resistance; D017830:Octoxynol / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D010068:Oxacillin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D010406:Penicillins / Q000494:pharmacology*; D013210:Staphylococcus / Q000187:drug effects*
D003902:Detergents; D010406:Penicillins; D017830:Octoxynol; D010068:Oxacillin