title: Beneficial effect of antibiotics on ciliary beat frequency of human nasal epithelial cells exposed to bacterial toxins.
abstract: In the present study, we explored whether the cilio-inhibitory effect induced by toxins derived from bacterial infections could be compensated for by a cilio-stimulatory effect of antibiotics. Human nasal epithelial cells (HNEC) expressing beating cilia were grown as monolayers. Ciliary beat frequency (CBF) was determined using an inverted microscope coupled with a high-speed digital camera. Clarithromycin and neomycin did not influence ciliary activity. Bacitracin, clindamycin, gramicidin and roxithromycin increased CBF significantly: by 50 +/- 12%, 54 +/- 16%, 31 +/- 16% and 31 +/- 18%, respectively. A 30 min exposure to Staphylococcus aureus enterotoxin B (SEB) and Pseudomonas aeruginosa lipopolysaccharide (PAL) decreased CBF significantly, by 37 +/- 16 and 28 +/- 12%, respectively. In contrast with exposure to the toxin alone, co-incubation of the nasal monolayer cells with PAL and bacitracin or clindamycin did not result in a decrease in CBF after 30 and 60 min. The effect of SEB could be compensated for by bacitracin but not by clindamycin. After a 12 h preincubation period with SEB, co-incubation with either bacitracin or clindamycin resulted in the complete recovery of CBF. This study suggests that topical antibiotic treatment of nasal infections could result in a dual positive effect, namely treatment of the bacterial infection and recovery of ciliary activity.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory for Pharmacotechnology and Biopharmacy, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Belgium.
authors.forename: Roel
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Mallants
authors.forename: Mark
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Jorissen
authors.forename: Patrick
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Augustijns
mesh_terms: D000281:Administration, Intranasal; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002923:Cilia / Q000187:drug effects; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004768:Enterotoxins / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides / Q000494:pharmacology*; D009079:Mucociliary Clearance / Q000187:drug effects*; D009297:Nasal Mucosa / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000473:pathology; D011550:Pseudomonas aeruginosa; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D004768:Enterotoxins; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides