title: Effect of androgens and glucocorticoids on microbial growth and antimicrobial susceptibility.
abstract: The effects of androgens, testosterone and dihydrotestosterone (DHT), of an environmental anti-androgen, 2,2-bis(4-chlorophenyl)-1,1-dichloroethylene (DDE), and of glucocorticoids, hydrocortisone and dexamethasone, on growth kinetics and antibiotic susceptibility of E. faecalis, E. coli, P. aeurginosa, and S. aureus were measured. For P. aeurginosa, the presence of either DHT or DDE caused at least a fourfold shift in the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of cefepime and tobramycin. DHT and DDE also affected the response of E. faecalis to meropenem and norfloxacin, resulting in a shift from sensitive to intermediate resistance (four-fold increase in MIC). Hydrocortisone (2 microM) induced an increase in the sensitivity of S. aureus to erythromycin, as compared to hormone-free control (from 0.5 to 0.06 microg/mL). The susceptibility pattern of E. coli was unaffected by the hormones tested. These changes in susceptibility to antibiotics were unrelated to alterations in growth kinetics. For all organisms tested, the alterations in MICs occurred only in the presence of hormone, indicative of changes in the phenotype of these stable quality control strains.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Midwestern University, Downers Grove, IL 60515, USA. Bplotk@Midwestern.edu
authors.forename: Balbina J
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Plotkin
authors.forename: Robert J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Roose
authors.forename: Quenby
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Erikson
authors.forename: Susan M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Viselli
mesh_terms: D000728:Androgens / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001419:Bacteria / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000254:growth & development*; D003907:Dexamethasone / Q000494:pharmacology; D003633:Dichlorodiphenyl Dichloroethylene / Q000494:pharmacology; D013196:Dihydrotestosterone / Q000494:pharmacology; D024881:Drug Resistance, Bacterial / Q000187:drug effects*; D013293:Enterococcus faecalis / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development; D005938:Glucocorticoids / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000494:pharmacology; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D010641:Phenotype; D011550:Pseudomonas aeruginosa / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development; D013739:Testosterone / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D000728:Androgens; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D005938:Glucocorticoids; D013196:Dihydrotestosterone; D013739:Testosterone; D003633:Dichlorodiphenyl Dichloroethylene; D003907:Dexamethasone; D006854:Hydrocortisone