title: Synergy between polyethylenimine and different families of antibiotics against a resistant clinical isolate of Pseudomonas aeruginosa.
abstract: The in vitro activities of 10 families of antimicrobial agents alone and in combination with a synthetic polycationic polymer, polyethylenimine (PEI), against a resistant clinical isolate of Pseudomonas aeruginosa were investigated by MIC assays, checkerboard testing, and killing curve studies. At a concentration of 250 nM, PEI (10 kDa) was not directly bactericidal or bacteriostatic; but when it was used in combination with novobiocin, ceftazidime, ampicillin, ticarcillin, carbenicillin, piperacillin, cefotaxime, chloramphenicol, rifampin, or norfloxacin, it significantly reduced the MICs of these antibiotics by 1.5- to 56-fold. However, the MICs of aminoglycosides, polymyxins, and vancomycins were increased by 1.2- to 5-fold when these drugs were combined with PEI; and the MICs of tetracycline, erythromycin, ciprofloxacin, and ofloxacin were not affected when these drugs were combined with PEI. In the killing curve studies, combinations of PEI with novobiocin, ceftazidime, chloramphenicol, or rifampin resulted in 5- to 8-log(10) CFU/ml reductions in bacterial counts when 25% of the MIC of each antibiotic was used. These results indicate that infections due to resistant Pseudomonas strains could be treated by the use of a synergistic combination of PEI and antimicrobial drugs.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Life Sciences, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710072, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Hayssam
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Khalil
authors.forename: Tao
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Renée
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Riffon
authors.forename: Rutao
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Zhao
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D000617:Aminoglycosides / Q000494:pharmacology; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002228:Carbenicillin / Q000494:pharmacology; D002442:Ceftazidime / Q000494:pharmacology; D002939:Ciprofloxacin / Q000494:pharmacology; D024881:Drug Resistance, Bacterial / Q000187:drug effects; D004357:Drug Synergism; D006801:Humans; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D009675:Novobiocin / Q000494:pharmacology; D015242:Ofloxacin / Q000494:pharmacology; D010878:Piperacillin / Q000494:pharmacology; D011094:Polyethyleneimine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011552:Pseudomonas Infections / Q000382:microbiology; D011550:Pseudomonas aeruginosa / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D012293:Rifampin / Q000494:pharmacology; D013982:Ticarcillin / Q000494:pharmacology; D014031:Tobramycin / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D000617:Aminoglycosides; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D009675:Novobiocin; D002939:Ciprofloxacin; D011094:Polyethyleneimine; D002442:Ceftazidime; D015242:Ofloxacin; D013982:Ticarcillin; D002228:Carbenicillin; D012293:Rifampin; D014031:Tobramycin; D010878:Piperacillin