Morphostructural damage and the inhibition of bacterial adhesiveness of Staphylococcus aureus and Moraxella catarrhalis induced by moxifloxacin.
The aim of this study was to investigate the ability of moxifloxacin to interfere with the mechanism of bacterial adhesion and disrupt the morphological and structural integrity of bacteria. Three Staphylococcus aureus and three Moraxella catarrhalis strains were grown in the presence of 1/2-1/128 minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) serial dilutions and incubated with human epithelial cells. A significant decrease in adhesion was observed from 1/2 MIC to 1/64 MIC for S. aureus, and from 1/2 MIC to 1/16 MIC for M. catarrhalis. The use of atomic force microscopy, a new technique capable of revealing surface structures in three-dimensional detail and at very high resolution, showed the rapid onset and time course of the sequence of disruptive morphostructural events following the incubation of both S. aureus and M. catarrhalis with sub-MICs of moxifloxacin. Our findings suggest that less than conventional MIC moxifloxacin concentrations may be effective in reducing bacterial adhesiveness and structural integrity on which the maintenance of bacterial activity depends.
Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, University of Milan, Italy. piercarlo.braga@unimi.it
P C
PC
Braga
M
M
Culici
D
D
Ricci
M
M
Dal Sasso
D001372:Aza Compounds / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001422:Bacterial Adhesion / Q000187:drug effects*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003470:Culture Media; D004847:Epithelial Cells; D024841:Fluoroquinolones; D006801:Humans; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D001936:Moraxella catarrhalis / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000472:pathogenicity / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D000077266:Moxifloxacin; D011804:Quinolines / Q000494:pharmacology*; D012016:Reference Values; D012494:Sampling Studies; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000472:pathogenicity / Q000648:ultrastructure*
D001372:Aza Compounds; D003470:Culture Media; D024841:Fluoroquinolones; D011804:Quinolines; D000077266:Moxifloxacin