title: Epigallocatechin gallate synergistically enhances the activity of carbapenems against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus.
abstract: Combinations of carbapenems and epigallocatechin gallate (EGCg; a main constituent of tea catechins) showed potent synergy against 24 clinical isolates of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). MICs of imipenem in the presence of EGCg at 3.125, 6.25, 12.5, and 25 microg/ml, were restored to the susceptible breakpoint (< or =4 microg/ml) for 8, 38, 46, and 75% of the MRSA isolates, respectively. Similar results were also observed for combinations of panipenem or meropenem and EGCg. Therefore, the combinations may be worthy of further evaluation in vivo against MRSA infection.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Showa University School of Medicine. Tokyo Food Techno Co. Ltd., Tokyo, Japan. zqhu@med.showa-u.ac.jp
authors.forename: Zhi-Qing
authors.initials: ZQ
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.forename: Wei-Hua
authors.initials: WH
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: Nozomi
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Asano
authors.forename: Yoshiyuki
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yoda
authors.forename: Yukihiko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Hara
authors.forename: Tadakatsu
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Shimamura
mesh_terms: D000975:Antioxidants / Q000494:pharmacology*; D015780:Carbapenems / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002392:Catechin / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000494:pharmacology*; D003114:Colony-Forming Units Assay; D004357:Drug Synergism; D016106:Methicillin Resistance; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus / Q000187:drug effects*; D013845:Thienamycins / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D015780:Carbapenems; D013845:Thienamycins; D002392:Catechin; C045651:epigallocatechin gallate; C039536:panipenem