Comprehensive stability analysis of 13 ß-lactams and ß-lactamase inhibitors in in vitro media, and novel supplement dosing strategy to mitigate thermal drug degradation.

Non-clinical antibiotic development relies on in vitro susceptibility and infection model studies. Validating the achievement of the targeted drug concentrations is essential to avoid under-estimation of drug effects and over-estimation of resistance emergence. While certain ß-lactams (e.g., imipenem) and ß-lactamase inhibitors (BLIs; clavulanic acid) are believed to be relatively unstable, limited tangible data on their stability in commonly used in vitro media are known. We aimed to determine the thermal stability of 10 ß-lactams and 3 BLIs via LC-MS/MS in cation-adjusted Mueller Hinton broth at 25 and 36°C as well as agar at 4 and 37°C, and in water at -20, 4, and 25°C. Supplement dosing algorithms were developed to achieve broth concentrations close to their target over 24 h. During incubation in broth (pH 7.25)/agar, degradation half-lives were 16.9/21.8 h for imipenem, 20.7/31.6 h for biapenem, 29.0 h for clavulanic acid (studied in broth only), 23.1/71.6 h for cefsulodin, 40.6/57.9 h for doripenem, 46.5/64.6 h for meropenem, 50.8/97.7 h for cefepime, 61.5/99.5 h for piperacillin, and >120 h for all other compounds. Broth stability decreased at higher pH. All drugs were ≥90% stable for 72 h in agar at 4°C. Degradation half-lives in water at 25°C were >200 h for all drugs except imipenem (14.7 h, at 1,000 mg/L) and doripenem (59.5 h). One imipenem supplement dose allowed concentrations to stay within ±31% of their target concentration. This study provides comprehensive stability data on ß-lactams and BLIs in relevant in vitro media using LC-MS/MS. Future studies are warranted applying these data to antimicrobial susceptibility testing and assessing the impact of ß-lactamase-related degradation.

Entomotherapy as an alternative treatment for diseases due to Gram-negative bacteria in Burkina Faso.

Insects are known for their harmful effects. However, they also benefit humans, animals, plants, and ecosystems. Its beneficial uses include entomophagy and entomotherapy. This study aimed to evaluate the antibacterial activity of insect extracts against Gram-negative bacteria. Antibacterial activities of thirteen crude extracts of medicinal insects were tested against twelve Gram-negative bacteria by diffusion on agar. Imipenem was used as an antibiotic for positive control. The thirteen extracts acted differently against certain Gram-negative bacteria. The largest inhibition diameter was for extracts of Cirina butyrospermi and Mylabris variabilis against Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC27853 and Salmonella enteritidis ATCC13076, respectively. The diameters of inhibition obtained using imipenem against these same bacterial strains were 13.0 ± 0.0 mm and 22 ± 1.0 mm, respectively. The lowest inhibition diameter (7.5 ± 0.0 mm) was obtained using Anopheles gambiae extract against Salmonella Typhimurium ATCC14028. Imipenem was active on all strains tested. The highest values of the index multi-resistance to insect's extracts were reported for Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC9027 and Serratia odorifera 652411. Overall, the results of this study confirmed the antibacterial activities of insects used by traditional health practitioners to treat different pathologies. Entomotherapy could be an alternative treatment for certain infectious pathologies caused by gram-negative bacteria.

Multidrug-resistant Gram-negative clinical isolates with reduced susceptibility/resistance to cefiderocol: which are the best present and future therapeutic alternatives?

PURPOSE: To evaluate the different present and future therapeutic ß-lactam/ß-lactamase inhibitor (BL/BLI) alternatives, namely aztreonam-avibactam, imipenem-relebactam, meropenem-vaborbactam, cefepime-zidebactam, cefepime-taniborbactam, meropenem-nacubactam, and sulbactam-durlobactam against clinical isolates showing reduced susceptibility or resistance to cefiderocol in Enterobacterales, Acinetobacter baumannii, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. METHODS: MIC values of aztreonam, aztreonam-avibactam, cefepime, cefepime-taniborbactam, cefepime-zidebactam, imipenem, imipenem-relebactam, meropenem, meropenem-vaborbactam, meropenem-nacubactam, sulbactam-durlobactam, and cefiderocol combined with a BLI were determined for 67, 9, and 11 clinical Enterobacterales, P. aeruginosa or A. baumannii isolates, respectively, showing MIC values of cefiderocol being ≥1 mg/L. If unavailable, the respective ß-lactam breakpoints according to EUCAST were used for BL/BLI combinations. RESULTS: For Enterobacterales, the susceptibility rates for aztreonam, cefepime, imipenem, and meropenem were 7.5%, 0%, 10.4%, and 10.4%, respectively, while they were much higher for cefepime-zidebactam (91%), cefiderocol-zidebactam (91%), meropenem-nacubactam (71.6%), cefiderocol-nacubactam (74.6%), and cefiderocol-taniborbactam (76.1%), as expected. For P. aeruginosa isolates, the higher susceptibility rates were observed for imipenem-relebactam, cefiderocol-zidebactam, and meropenem-vaborbactam (56% for all combinations). For A. baumannii isolates, lower susceptibility rates were observed with commercially or under development BL/BLI combos; however, a high susceptibility rate (70%) was found for sulbactam-durlobactam and when cefiderocol was associated to some BLIs. CONCLUSIONS: Zidebactam- and nacubactam-containing combinations showed a significant in vitro activity against multidrug-resistant Enterobacterales clinical isolates with reduced susceptibility to cefiderocol. On the other hand, imipenem-relebactam and meropenem-vaborbactam showed the highest susceptibility rates against P. aeruginosa isolates. Finally, sulbactam-durlobactam and cefiderocol combined with a BLI were the only effective options against A. baumannii tested isolates.

Characterization of Pseudomonas aeruginosa resistance to ceftolozane-tazobactam due to ampC and/or ampD mutations observed during treatment using semi-mechanistic PKPD modeling.

A double ampC (AmpCG183D) and ampD (AmpDH157Y) genes mutations have been identified by whole genome sequencing in a Pseudomonas aeruginosa (PaS) that became resistant (PaR) in a patient treated by ceftolozane/tazobactam (C/T). To precisely characterize the respective contributions of these mutations on the decreased susceptibility to C/T and on the parallel increased susceptibility to imipenem (IMI), mutants were generated by homologous recombination in PAO1 reference strain (PAO1- AmpCG183D, PAO1-AmpDH157Y, PAO1-AmpCG183D/AmpDH157Y) and in PaR (PaR-AmpCPaS/AmpDPaS). Sequential time-kill curve experiments were conducted on all strains and analyzed by semi-mechanistic PKPD modeling. A PKPD model with adaptation successfully described the data, allowing discrimination between initial and time-related (adaptive resistance) effects of mutations. With PAO1 and mutant-derived strains, initial EC50 values increased by 1.4, 4.1, and 29-fold after AmpCG183D , AmpDH157Y and AmpCG183D/AmpDH157Y mutations, respectively. EC50 values were increased by 320, 12.4, and 55-fold at the end of the 2 nd experiment. EC50 of PAO1-AmpCG183D/AmpDH157Y was higher than that of single mutants at any time of the experiments. Within the PaR clinical background, reversal of AmpCG183D, and AmpDH157Y mutations led to an important decrease of EC50 value, from 80.5 mg/L to 6.77 mg/L for PaR and PaR-AmpCPaS/AmpDPaS, respectively. The effect of mutations on IMI susceptibility mainly showed that the AmpCG183D mutation prevented the emergence of adaptive resistance. The model successfully described the separate and combined effect of AmpCG183D and AmpDH157Y mutations against C/T and IMI, allowing discrimination and quantification of the initial and time-related effects of mutations. This method could be reproduced in clinical strains to decipher complex resistance mechanisms.

Comparative Activities of Novel Therapeutic Agents against Molecularly Characterized Clinical Carbapenem-Resistant Enterobacterales Isolates.

Limited treatment options exist for the treatment of carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales (CRE) bacteria. Fortunately, there are several recently approved antibiotics indicated for CRE infections. Here, we examine the in vitro activity of various novel agents (eravacycline, plazomicin, ceftazidime-avibactam, imipenem-relebactam, and meropenem-vaborbactam) and comparators (tigecycline, amikacin, levofloxacin, fosfomycin, polymyxin B) against 365 well-characterized CRE clinical isolates with various genotypes. Nonduplicate isolates collected from the largest public health hospital in Singapore between 2007 and 2020 were subjected to antimicrobial susceptibility testing (broth microdilution or antibiotic gradient test strips). Susceptibilities were defined using Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) or Food and Drug Administration (FDA) interpretative criteria. Sequence types and resistance mechanisms were characterized using short-read whole-genome sequencing. Overall, tigecycline and plazomicin exhibited the highest susceptibility rates (89.6% and 80.8%, respectively). However, the tigecycline susceptibility breakpoint utilized here may be outdated in view of prevailing pharmacokinetic-pharmacodynamic (PK/PD) data. Susceptibility varied by carbapenemase genotype; the ß-lactam/ß-lactamase inhibitor combinations were equally active (92.3 to 99.2% susceptible) against KPC producers, but only ceftazidime-avibactam retained high susceptibility (98.7%) against OXA-48-like producers. Against metallo-ß-lactamase producers, only plazomicin exhibited moderate activity (77.0% susceptible). Aminoglycoside activity was also influenced by carbapenemase genotypes. This work provides an insight into the comparative activity and presumptive utility of novel agents in this geographic region. IMPORTANCE This study determined the susceptibilities of carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales isolates to various novel antimicrobial agents (ceftazidime-avibactam, imipenem-relebactam, meropenem-vaborbactam, eravacycline, and plazomicin). Whole-genome sequencing was performed for all strains. Our study findings provide insights into the comparative activities of novel agents in this geographic region. Plazomicin and ceftazidime-avibactam exhibited the lowest nonsusceptibility rates and may be considered promising agents in the management of carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales infections. We note also that antibiotic activity is influenced by genotypes and that understanding the geographic region's molecular epidemiology could aid in the definition of the presumptive utility of novel agents and contribute to antibiotic decision-making.

Evaluation of combination therapies with colistin in an experimental mouse pneumonia model induced by carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii strain.

The treatment options are limited in Acinetobacter baumannii infections. In this study, the effectiveness of colistin monotherapy and combinations of colistin with different antibiotics were investigated in an experimental pneumonia model induced by carbapenem-resistant A. baumannii strain. Mice in the study were divided into five groups as control (no treatment), colistin monotherapy, colistin + sulbactam, colistin + imipenem, and colistin + tigecycline combinations. The modified experimental surgical pneumonia model of Esposito and Pennington was applied to all groups. The presence of bacteria in blood and lung samples was investigated. Results were compared. In blood cultures, while there was no difference between the control and colistin groups, there was a statistical difference between the control and the combination groups (P = 0.029). When the groups were compared in terms of lung tissue culture positivity, there was a statistical difference between the control group and all treatment groups (colistin, colistin + sulbactam, colistin + imipenem, and colistin + tigecycline) (P = 0.026, P < 0.001, P < 0.001, and P = 0.002, respectively). The number of microorganisms that grew in the lung tissue was found to be statistically significantly lower in all treatment groups in comparison with the control group (P = 0.001). Both monotherapy and combination therapies of colistin were found to be effective in the treatment of carbapenem-resistant A. baumannii pneumonia, but the superiority of combination therapies over colistin monotherapy has not been demonstrated.

Simultaneous and divergent evolution of resistance to cephalosporin/ß-lactamase inhibitor combinations and imipenem/relebactam following ceftazidime/avibactam treatment of MDR Pseudomonas aeruginosa infections.

OBJECTIVES: To describe and characterize the emergence of resistance to ceftolozane/tazobactam, ceftazidime/avibactam and imipenem/relebactam in a patient receiving ceftazidime/avibactam treatment for an MDR Pseudomonas aeruginosa CNS infection. METHODS: One baseline (PA1) and two post-exposure (PA2 and PA3) isolates obtained before and during treatment of a nosocomial P. aeruginosa meningoventriculitis were evaluated. MICs were determined by broth microdilution. Mutational changes were investigated through WGS. The impact on ß-lactam resistance of mutations in blaPDC and mexR was determined through cloning experiments and complementation assays. RESULTS: Isolate PA1 showed baseline resistance mutations in DacB (I354A) and OprD (N142fs) conferring resistance to conventional antipseudomonals but susceptibility to ceftazidime/avibactam, ceftolozane/tazobactam and imipenem/relebactam. Post-exposure isolates showed two divergent ceftazidime/avibactam-resistant phenotypes associated with distinctive mutations affecting the intrinsic P PDC ß-lactamase (S254Ins) (PA2: ceftolozane/tazobactam and ceftazidime/avibactam-resistant) or MexAB-OprM negative regulator MexR in combination with modification of PBP3 (PA3: ceftazidime/avibactam and imipenem/relebactam-relebactam-resistant). Cloning experiments demonstrated the role of PDC modification in resistance to ceftolozane/tazobactam and ceftazidime/avibactam. Complementation with a functional copy of the mexR gene in isolate PA3 restored imipenem/relebactam susceptibility. CONCLUSIONS: We demonstrated how P. aeruginosa may simultaneously develop resistance and compromise the activity of new ß-lactam/ß-lactamase inhibitor combinations when exposed to ceftazidime/avibactam through selection of mutations leading to PDC modification and up-regulation of MexAB-OprM-mediated efflux.

Cefepime, not Piperacillin/Tazobactam use, for empirical treatment of bloodstream infections caused by Enterobacter spp.: Results from a population pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic analysis.

OBJECTIVE: There is a paucity of published data to evaluate the efficacy and safety of imipenem, cefepime and piperacillin/tazobactam dosing regimens against bloodstream infections caused by Klebsiella aerogenes (BSIs-Kae) and Enterobacter cloacae complex (BSIs-Ecc) in patients with various degrees of renal function. METHODS: Pathogens were isolated from China's blood bacterial resistant investigation network. The dosing regimens of imipenem, cefepime and piperacillin were simulated with intermittent infusion and extended infusion. Monte Carlo simulation was performed to calculate the probability of target attainment and a cumulative fraction of response (CFR) against BSIs-Kae/Ecc. RESULTS: In total, 203 BSIs-Kae, and 785 BSIs-Ecc were isolated from the surveillance network. Imipenem showed the highest in vitro activity against BSIs-Kae/Ecc, followed by cefepime (85%) and piperacillin/tazobactam (70-80%). The MIC90 values of imipenem, cefepime and piperacillin/tazobactam aginst BSIs-Kae and BSIs-Ecc were 1/1 mg/L, 16/16 mg/L, and 64/128 mg/L, respectively. The simulation results showed imipenem achieved the highest CFRs in patients with normal or decreased renal function, with values of 91-99%, followed by FEP (88-96%), without risk of excessive dosing. However, the intermittent and extended dosing regimens of piperacillin/tazobactam were unlikely to provide adequate exposure for empirical management of BSIs-Kae/Ecc (CFRs, 50-80%), regardless of renal function. Besides, the traditional intermittent piperacillin/tazobactam dosing regimens were highly likely to contribute to suboptimal therapeutic exposure when MIC was close to clinical breakpoints. CONCLUSIONS: Cefepime, not piperacillin/tazobactam, can be a reasonable carbapenem-sparing option in empirically treating BSIs-Kae/Ecc.

Antibacterial Activity of Syzygium aromaticum (Clove) Bud Oil and Its Interaction with Imipenem in Controlling Wound Infections in Rats Caused by Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus.

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is one of the leading causes of infection worldwide. Clove oil's ability to inhibit the growth of MRSA was studied through in vitro and in vivo studies. The phytochemical components of clove oil were determined through gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis. The antibacterial effects of clove oil and its interaction with imipenem were determined by studying MIC, MBC, and FIC indices in vitro. The in vivo wound-healing effect of the clove oil and infection control were determined using excision wound model rats. The GC-MS analysis of clove oil revealed the presence of 16 volatile compounds. Clove oil showed a good antibacterial effect in vitro but no interaction was observed with imipenem. Clove bud oil alone or in combination with imipenem healed wounds faster and reduced the microbial load in wounds. The findings of this study confirmed the antibacterial activity of clove oil in vitro and in vivo and demonstrated its interaction with imipenem.

Activity of newest generation ß-lactam/ß-lactamase inhibitor combination therapies against multidrug resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

Multidrug resistant (MDR) P. aeruginosa accounts for 35% of all P. aeruginosa isolated from respiratory samples of patients with cystic fibrosis (CF). The usefulness of ß-lactam antibiotics for treating CF, such as carbapenems and later generation cephalosporins, is limited by the development of antibacterial resistance. A proven treatment approach is the combination of a ß-lactam antibiotic with a ß-lactamase inhibitor. New ß-lactam/ß-lactamase inhibitor combinations are available, but data are lacking regarding the susceptibility of MDR CF-associated P. aeruginosa (CFPA) to these new combination therapies. In this study we determined MIC values for three new combinations; imipenem-relebactam (I-R), ceftazidime-avibactam (CZA), and ceftolozane-tazobactam (C/T) against MDR CFPA (n = 20). The MIC90 of I-R, CZA, and C/T was 64/4, 32/4, and 16/8 (all µg/mL), respectively. The susceptibility of isolates to imipenem was not significantly improved with the addition of relebactam (p = 0.68). However, susceptibility to ceftazidime was significantly improved with the addition of avibactam (p < 0.01), and the susceptibility to C/T was improved compared to piperacillin/tazobactam (p < 0.05) These data provide in vitro evidence that I-R may not be any more effective than imipenem monotherapy against MDR CFPA. The pattern of susceptibility observed for CZA and C/T in the current study was similar to data previously reported for non-CF-associated MDR P. aeruginosa.

Sulopenem: An Intravenous and Oral Penem for the Treatment of Urinary Tract Infections Due to Multidrug-Resistant Bacteria.

Sulopenem (formerly known as CP-70,429, and CP-65,207 when a component of a racemic mixture with its R isomer) is an intravenous and oral penem that possesses in vitro activity against fluoroquinolone-resistant, extended spectrum ß-lactamases (ESBL)-producing, multidrug-resistant (MDR) Enterobacterales. Sulopenem is being developed to treat patients with uncomplicated and complicated urinary tract infections (UTIs) as well as intra-abdominal infections. This review will focus mainly on its use in UTIs. The chemical structure of sulopenem shares properties of penicillins, cephalosporins, and carbapenems. Sulopenem is available as an oral prodrug formulation, sulopenem etzadroxil, which is hydrolyzed by intestinal esterases, resulting in active sulopenem. In early studies, the S isomer of CP-65,207, later developed as sulopenem, demonstrated greater absorption, higher drug concentrations in the urine, and increased stability against the renal enzyme dehydropeptidase-1 compared with the R isomer, which set the stage for its further development as a UTI antimicrobial. Sulopenem is active against both Gram-negative and Gram-positive microorganisms. Sulopenem's ß-lactam ring alkylates the serine residues of penicillin-binding protein (PBP), which inhibits peptidoglycan cross-linking. Due to its ionization and low molecular weight, sulopenem passes through outer membrane proteins to reach PBPs of Gram-negative bacteria. While sulopenem activity is unaffected by many ß-lactamases, resistance arises from alterations in PBPs (e.g., methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus [MRSA]), expression of carbapenemases (e.g., carbapenemase-producing Enterobacterales and in Stenotrophomonas maltophilia), reduction in the expression of outer membrane proteins (e.g., some Klebsiella spp.), and the presence of efflux pumps (e.g., MexAB-OprM in Pseudomonas aeruginosa), or a combination of these mechanisms. In vitro studies have reported that sulopenem demonstrates greater activity than meropenem and ertapenem against Enterococcus faecalis, Listeria monocytogenes, methicillin-susceptible S. aureus (MSSA), and Staphylococcus epidermidis, as well as similar activity to carbapenems against Streptococcus agalactiae, Streptococcus pneumoniae, and Streptococcus pyogenes. With some exceptions, sulopenem activity against Gram-negative aerobes was less than ertapenem and meropenem but greater than imipenem. Sulopenem activity against Escherichia coli carrying ESBL, CTX-M, or Amp-C enzymes, or demonstrating MDR phenotypes, as well as against ESBL-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae, was nearly identical to ertapenem and meropenem and greater than imipenem. Sulopenem exhibited identical or slightly greater activity than imipenem against many Gram-positive and Gram-negative anaerobes, including Bacteroides fragilis. The pharmacokinetics of intravenous sulopenem appear similar to carbapenems such as imipenem-cilastatin, meropenem, and doripenem. In healthy subjects, reported volumes of distribution (Vd) ranged from 15.8 to 27.6 L, total drug clearances (CLT) of 18.9-24.9 L/h, protein binding of approximately 10%, and elimination half-lives (t½) of 0.88-1.03 h. The estimated renal clearance (CLR) of sulopenem is 8.0-10.6 L/h, with 35.5% ± 6.7% of a 1000 mg dose recovered unchanged in the urine. An ester prodrug, sulopenem etzadroxil, has been developed for oral administration. Initial investigations reported a variable oral bioavailability of 20-34% under fasted conditions, however subsequent work showed that bioavailability is significantly improved by administering sulopenem with food to increase its oral absorption or with probenecid to reduce its renal tubular secretion. Food consumption increases the area under the curve (AUC) of oral sulopenem (500 mg twice daily) by 23.6% when administered alone and 62% when administered with 500 mg of probenecid. Like carbapenems, sulopenem demonstrates bactericidal activity that is associated with the percentage of time that free concentrations exceed the MIC (%f T > MIC). In animal models, bacteriostasis was associated with %f T > MICs ranging from 8.6 to 17%, whereas 2-log10 kill was seen at values ranging from 12 to 28%. No pharmacodynamic targets have been documented for suppression of resistance. Sulopenem concentrations in urine are variable, ranging from 21.8 to 420.0 mg/L (median 84.4 mg/L) in fasted subjects and 28.8 to 609.0 mg/L (median 87.3 mg/L) in those who were fed. Sulopenem has been compared with carbapenems and cephalosporins in guinea pig and murine systemic and lung infection animal models. Studied pathogens included Acinetobacter calcoaceticus, B. fragilis, Citrobacter freundii, Enterobacter cloacae, E. coli, K. pneumoniae, Proteus vulgaris, and Serratia marcescens. These studies reported that overall, sulopenem was non-inferior to carbapenems but appeared to be superior to cephalosporins. A phase III clinical trial (SURE-1) reported that sulopenem was not non-inferior to ciprofloxacin in women infected with fluoroquinolone-susceptible pathogens, due to a higher rate of asymptomatic bacteriuria in sulopenem-treated patients at the test-of-cure visit. However, the researchers reported superiority of sulopenem etzadroxil/probenecid over ciprofloxacin for the treatment of uncomplicated UTIs in women infected with fluoroquinolone/non-susceptible pathogens, and non-inferiority in all patients with a positive urine culture. A phase III clinical trial (SURE-2) compared intravenous sulopenem followed by oral sulopenem etzadroxil/probenecid with ertapenem in the treatment of complicated UTIs. No difference in overall success was noted at the end of therapy. However, intravenous sulopenem followed by oral sulopenem etzadroxil was not non-inferior to ertapenem followed by oral stepdown therapy in overall success at test-of-cure due to a higher rate of asymptomatic bacteriuria in the sulopenem arm. After a meeting with the US FDA, Iterum stated that they are currently evaluating the optimal design for an additional phase III uncomplicated UTI study to be conducted prior to the potential resubmission of the New Drug Application (NDA). It is unclear at this time whether Iterum intends to apply for EMA or Japanese regulatory approval. The safety and tolerability of sulopenem has been reported in various phase I pharmacokinetic studies and phase III clinical trials. Sulopenem (intravenous and oral) appears to be well tolerated in healthy subjects, with and without the coadministration of probenecid, with few serious drug-related treatment-emergent adverse events (TEAEs) reported to date. Reported TEAEs affecting ≥1% of patients were (from most to least common) diarrhea, nausea, headache, vomiting and dizziness. Discontinuation rates were low and were not different than comparator agents. Sulopenem administered orally and/or intravenously represents a potentially well tolerated and effective option for treating uncomplicated and complicated UTIs, especially in patients with documented or highly suspected antimicrobial pathogens to commonly used agents (e.g. fluoroquinolone-resistant E. coli), and in patients with documented microbiological or clinical failure or patients who demonstrate intolerance/adverse effects to first-line agents. This agent will likely be used orally in the outpatient setting, and intravenously followed by oral stepdown in the hospital setting. Sulopenem also allows for oral stepdown therapy in the hospital setting from intravenous non-sulopenem therapy. More clinical data are required to fully assess the clinical efficacy and safety of sulopenem, especially in patients with complicated UTIs caused by resistant pathogens such as ESBL-producing, Amp-C, MDR E. coli. Antimicrobial stewardship programs will need to create guidelines for when this oral and intravenous penem should be used.

Evolution of Imipenem-Relebactam Resistance Following Treatment of Multidrug-Resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa Pneumonia.

We report the emergence of imipenem-relebactam nonsusceptible Pseudomonas aeruginosa in 5 patients treated for nosocomial pneumonia for 10-28 days. Genome sequence analysis identified treatment-emergent mutations in MexAB-OprM and/or MexEF-OprN efflux operons that arose independently in each patient across distinct P. aeruginosa sequence types. Testing with efflux-inhibitor PAßN restored imipenem-relebactam susceptibility.

Chemical Composition and Synergistic Potential of Mentha pulegium L. and Artemisia herba alba Asso. Essential Oils and Antibiotic against Multi-Drug Resistant Bacteria.

The essential oils were obtained by hydrodistillation from aerial parts of Mentha pulegium L. (M. pulegium L.) and Artemisia herba alba (A. herba alba) Asso. and analyzed by gas chromatography-flame ionization detector chromatograpy (GC-FID) and gaz chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The antibacterial activities of the oils were determined by the disk diffusion method and a microdilution broth assay against six bacteria stains. The combinations of these essential oils with antibiotics were evaluated against two multi-drug-resistant bacteria strains: imipenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii (IRAB S3310) and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA S19). The chemical analysis of M. pulegium essential oil revealed the presence of pulegone (74.8%) and neoisomenthol (10.0%). A. herba alba essential oil was characterized by camphor (32.0%), α-thujone (13.7%), 1,8-cineole (9.8%), ß-thujone (5.0%), bornéol (3.8%), camphene (3.6%), and p-cymene (2.1%). All strains tested except Pseudomonas aeruginosa were susceptible to these oils. The combinations of essential oils with antibiotics exerted synergism, antagonism, or indifferent effects. The best effect was observed with A. herba alba essential oil in association with cefoxitin (CX) against MRSA S19. However, for IRAB S3310, the strongest synergistic effect was observed with M. pulegium in association with amikacin (AK). This study demonstrated that M. pulegium and A. herba alba essential oils have antibacterial activities which could be potentiated by antibiotics especially in the case of IRAB S3310.

Comparative activity of newer ß-lactam/ß-lactamase inhibitor combinations against Pseudomonas aeruginosa from patients hospitalized with pneumonia in European medical centers in 2020.

Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolates were consecutively collected from patients with pneumonia in 29 medical centers in 2020 and susceptibility tested by broth microdilution method. Ceftazidime-avibactam (95.5% susceptible), imipenem-relebactam (94.3% susceptible), and ceftolozane-tazobactam (93.3% susceptible) were the most active compounds after colistin (99.5% susceptible). Susceptibility rates for the ß-lactam/ß-lactamase inhibitor combinations (BL/BLIs) varied against isolates resistant to piperacillin-tazobactam, meropenem, imipenem, and/or ceftazidime. Ceftazidime-avibactam was the most active BL/BLI against resistant subsets from Western Europe, whereas imipenem-relebactam was slightly more active than other BL/BLIs against resistant subsets from Eastern Europe. Susceptibility rates were markedly lower in Eastern Europe than Western Europe.

In vitro and in vivo comparison of eravacycline- and tigecycline-based combination therapies for tigecycline-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii.

Several antimicrobial combination therapies are used to treat multiple drug resistant (MDR) and extensively drug resistant (XDR) Acinetobacter baumannii infections. A novel antibiotic, eravacycline, shows a higher potency than tigecycline. The efficacies of eravacycline-based therapies have not yet been evaluated. We demonstrated the effectiveness of eravacycline- and tigecycline-based combination therapies in XDR and especially tigecycline resistant A. baumannii. Thirteen eligible isolates were selected from 642 non-duplicate Acinetobacter blood isolates from four medical centres in 2010-2014. Tigecycline/imipenem and eravacycline/imipenem combinations were simultaneously effective against some isolates in vitro with fractional inhibitory concentration index of 0.5. In contrast, eravacycline- and tigecycline-based combination therapies provided no additional benefits in mouse survival compared to those for monotherapy. In summary, colistin is still the final resort for XDR-A. baumannii treatment according to the sensitivities. Owning to rapid development of resistance in A. baumannii, novel antibiotics are urgently needed.

Systematic review and meta-analysis of in vitro efficacy of antibiotic combination therapy against carbapenem-resistant Gram-negative bacilli.

The superiority of combination therapy for carbapenem-resistant Gram-negative bacilli (CR-GNB) infections remains controversial. In vitro models may predict the efficacy of antibiotic regimens against CR-GNB. A systematic review and meta-analysis was performed including pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic (PK/PD) and time-kill (TK) studies examining the in vitro efficacy of antibiotic combinations against CR-GNB [PROSPERO registration no. CRD42019128104]. The primary outcome was in vitro synergy based on the effect size (ES): high, ES ≥ 0.75, moderate, 0.35 < ES < 0.75; low, ES ≤ 0.35; and absent, ES = 0). A network meta-analysis assessed the bactericidal effect and re-growth rate (secondary outcomes). An adapted version of the ToxRTool was used for risk-of-bias assessment. Over 180 combination regimens from 136 studies were included. The most frequently analysed classes were polymyxins and carbapenems. Limited data were available for ceftazidime/avibactam, ceftolozane/tazobactam and imipenem/relebactam. High or moderate synergism was shown for polymyxin/rifampicin against Acinetobacter baumannii [ES = 0.91, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.44-1.00], polymyxin/fosfomycin against Klebsiella pneumoniae (ES = 1.00, 95% CI 0.66-1.00) and imipenem/amikacin against Pseudomonas aeruginosa (ES = 1.00, 95% CI 0.21-1.00). Compared with monotherapy, increased bactericidal activity and lower re-growth rates were reported for colistin/fosfomycin and polymyxin/rifampicin in K. pneumoniae and for imipenem/amikacin or imipenem/tobramycin against P. aeruginosa. High quality was documented for 65% and 53% of PK/PD and TK studies, respectively. Well-designed in vitro studies should be encouraged to guide the selection of combination therapies in clinical trials and to improve the armamentarium against carbapenem-resistant bacteria.

Proteomic Analysis of Proteins Associated with Inhibition of Pseudomonas aeruginosa Resistance to Imipenem Mediated by the Chinese Herbal Medicine Qi Gui Yin.

Objective: Antibiotic resistance of Pseudomonas aeruginosa (PA) that lowers the effectiveness of current treatments for pneumonia is a growing problem. Qi Gui Yin is a Chinese herbal medicine that has been used to improve the efficacy of antibiotic therapy against antibiotic-resistant bacteria. This study aimed to elucidate the mechanism by which Qi Gui Yin inhibits antibiotic resistance of PA. Methods: Active components of Qi Gui Yin were analyzed by chromatography. Isobaric Tags for Relative and Absolute Quantification (iTRAQ) technology was used to compare protein expression profiles of PA strains cultured in serum from rats that were and were not treated with Qi Gui Yin. Quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) analysis was performed to detect gene expression changes. Results: Proteomic analysis identified 76 differentially expressed proteins between PA strains cultured in serum from rats that were or were not treated with Qi Gui Yin. Bioinformatics analysis revealed that the largest number of differentially expressed proteins were associated with resistance mechanisms such as quorum sensing, bacterial biofilm formation, and active pumping. In addition, qPCR analysis confirmed that downregulation of iscU and arcA gene expression was associated with Qi Gui Yin treatment. Conclusions: Serum from Qi Gui Yin-treated rats could effectively inhibit antibiotic resistance of PA. Chlorogenic acid and astragaloside IV are the main components of Qi Gui Yin, which may mediate inhibition of antibiotic resistance. Our findings provide new insights into strategies involving Chinese herbal medicine that can be used to treat pneumonia caused by antibiotic-resistant bacteria.

Resistência aos antimicrobianos e diversidade genética de variantes fenotípicas de Pseudomonas aeruginosa não sensíveis aos carbapenêmicos recuperadas de pacientes com fibrose cística com infecção pulmonar crônica: uma análise temporal / Antimicrobial resistance and genetic diversity of phenotypic variants of carbapenem non susceptible Pseudomonas aeruginosa recovered from patients with cystic fibrosis with chronic lung infection: a temporal analysis

Pseudomonas aeruginosa, bactéria ubíqua e versátil, pode se comportar como um patógeno oportunista, com ampla capacidade adaptativa, por múltiplos fatores de virulência e resistência. Como agente patogênico nas infecções pulmonares em pacientes com fibrose cística (FC), é motivo de prognóstico ruim, aumento de hospitalizações e altas taxas de morbimortalidade, sendo quase impossível a sua erradicação, ao evoluírem para a cronicidade. Globalmente, é notável o aumento nos índices de amostras não sensíveis aos carbapenêmicos e a múltiplos antimicrobianos, essenciais à terapêutica. Assim, avaliamos temporalmente a susceptibilidade aos antimicrobianos e a presença de amostras hipermutáveis (HPM) em P. aeruginosa de diferentes morfotipos, não sensíveis aos carbapenêmicos (PANSC), obtidas de pacientes FC com infecção pulmonar crônica, acompanhados em dois centros de referência no Rio de Janeiro. De 2007 a 2016, a análise retrospectiva, através dos resultados obtidos no teste de disco-difusão (TDD), permitiu selecionar amostras de PANSC incluídas neste trabalho. Usando os resultados obtidos no TDD, foi definida a susceptibilidade a outros antimicrobianos, bem como os fenótipos de resistência, multi-(MDR), extensivo-(XDR) e pandroga resistentes (PDR). Adicionalmente, determinou-se a concentração inibitória mínima (CIM) para imipenem (IPM), meropenem (MEM), doripenem (DOR) e polimixina (POL). Através de teste fenotípico, foi calculada a frequência de mutação espontânea e as amostras hipermutáveis foram caracterizadas. O sequenciamento de genoma total (SGT) foi realizado em seis amostras de diferentes morfotipos, incluindo uma variante fenotípica rara, a small colony variant (SCV). Essas amostras foram recuperadas em dois episódios de exacerbação do paciente. Foram investigadas a clonalidade, resistência a antimicrobianos e virulência. Das 143 amostras, de 18 pacientes (9 pediátricos e 9 adultos), os resultados do TDD apontaram taxas de não susceptibilidade superiores a 44% para gentamicina, amicacina, tobramicina e ciprofloxacina, e maiores de 30 % para POL. Pela determinação da CIM, quase a totalidade (96%) das amostras foram não sensíveis a IMP, seguidos de 56% para MEM e 44% para DOR. Analisando-se a distribuição dos valores da CIM50 e CIM90 nos dois grupos de pacientes, os valores para IMP foram maiores entre as amostras dos pacientes pediátricos, equivalendo a 32 µg/mL e 64 µg/mL, respectivamente. Cerca de 25%, 37% e 6% eram MDR, XDR e PDR, respectivamente. Aproximadamente 12% eram HPM, e mais da metade destas foram XDR. Após o SGT, as seis amostras, recuperadas do caso clínico foram classificadas em um novo sequence type (ST2744), com a presença de genes de resistência adquiridos blaPAO, blaOXA-50, aph(3')-Iib, fosA, catB7 e crpP, apresentando mutações em genes codificadores de porinas e bombas de efluxo. Entretanto, não foram observados marcadores genéticos clássicos exclusivos para os fenótipos SCV e HPM. Este é o primeiro relato de P. aeruginosa SCV na FC, no Brasil. A vigilância epidemiológica de P. aeruginosa é crucial para a conduta terapêutica, bem como para o sucesso da resposta do paciente e erradicação da infecção pulmonar, justificando o uso de técnicas fenotípicas e moleculares na detecção dos mecanismos de resistência e virulência desse microrganismo na FC.

Pseudomonas aeruginosa, a ubiquitous and versatile bacterium, can behave as an opportunistic pathogen, with strong adaptive capacity, due to multiple virulence and resistance factors. As a pulmonary infection pathogen in patients with cystic fibrosis (CF), it is related with poor prognosis, increased hospitalizations and high rates of morbidity and mortality, and the eradication is almost impossible, especially after chronicity. The increase rates of isolates non-susceptible to carbapenem and multiple antimicrobials, essentials to therapy, have been observed worldwide. Therefore, we assessed the antimicrobial susceptibility and the presence of hypermutability (HPM) in non-susceptible to carbapenem P. aeruginosa (PANSC) isolates from different morphotypes, obtained from CF patients with chronic pulmonary infection, followed at two reference centers in Rio de Janeiro. Using the results obtained by disk-diffusion test (DDT) between 2007 to 2016, we select 143 PANSC and susceptibility to other antimicrobials was defined, as well as the resistance phenotypes, multi- (MDR), extensive- (XDR) and pandrug resistant (PDR). Additionally, the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) for imipenem (IPM), meropenem (MEM), doripenem (DOR) and polymyxin (POL) was determined. Hypermutable isolates were characterized by determination of mutation frequency. Whole genome sequencing (WGS) was performed in six morphotypes isolates, including the small colony variant (SCV), a rare variant phenotype. These isolates were recovered in two exacerbation episodes. Clonality, antimicrobial resistance and virulence were investigated. Of the total (143 isolates) isolated from 18 patients (9 pediatric and 9 adults), non-susceptibility rates above than 44% for gentamicin, amikacin, tobramycin and ciprofloxacin, and more than 30% for POL were observed. Almost all (96%) of the isolates were non-susceptible to IPM by MIC determination, followed by 56% for MEM and 44% for DOR. MIC50 (32 µg/mL) and MIC90 (64 µg/mL) rates for IPM were higher among pediatric patient isolates and 25%, 37% and 6% were MDR, XDR and PDR, respectively. 12% of all isolates were classified as HPM and more than half were categorized as XDR. Using WGS, the six isolates recovered from the clinical case, were identified as a new sequence type (ST2744). Acquired resistance genes blaPAO, blaOXA-50, aph (3')-Iib, fosA, catB7 and crpP and mutations in encoding genes for porins and efflux pumps, was annotated. None exclusive classic genetic markers related to SCV and HPM phenotypes were not observed. This is the first Brazilian report of P. aeruginosa SCV in CF. Our results highlight the importance of epidemiological surveillance in P. aeruginosa. The application of phenotypic and molecular techniques to investigate resistance and virulence mechanisms, can contribute to therapeutic success in CF.

Pharmacokinetic and Pharmacodynamic Analysis of Critically Ill Patients Undergoing Continuous Renal Replacement Therapy With Imipenem.

PURPOSE: This study explores factors that affect behavior in critically ill patients receiving continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT) with imipenem and provides dosing regimens for these patients. METHODS: A prospective, open-label study was conducted in a clinical setting. Both blood and effluent samples were collected pairwise at the scheduled time points. Plasma and effluent imipenem concentrations were determined by HPLC-UV. A population pharmacokinetic model was developed using a nonlinear mixed-effects modeling method. The final model was evaluated by a bootstrap and visual predictive check. A population pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic analysis using Monte Carlo simulations was performed to explore the effects of empirically used dosing regimens (0.5 g q6h, 0.5 g q8h, 0.5 g q12h, 1 g q6h, 1 g q8h, and 1 g q12h) on the probability of target attainment. FINDINGS: Thirty patients were included in the population model analysis. Imipenem concentration data were best described by a 3-compartment model (central, peripheral, and dialysis compartments). The clearance of the dialysis compartment (CLd) was used to characterize drug elimination from the dialyzer. Creatinine clearance (CrCl) was the covariate that influenced the central clearance (CLc), and the effects of dialysate flow (Qd) was significant for CLd. Model validation revealed that the final model had qualified stability and acceptable predictive properties. A pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic analysis was conducted by Monte Carlo simulation, and patients were categorized into 12 subgroups based on different CrCl values (<30, 31-60, 61-90, and >90 mL/min) and Qd values (300, 500, and 1000 mL/h). Under the same MIC value and administration regimen, probability of target attainment values decreased with an increase of CrCl and Qd. IMPLICATIONS: CrCl and Qd had significant effects on CLc and CLd, respectively. The proposed final model may be used to guide practitioners in imipenem dosing in this specific patient population.

First description of antimicrobial resistance in carbapenem-susceptible Klebsiella pneumoniae after imipenem treatment, driven by outer membrane remodeling.

BACKGROUND: The emergence of carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae (CRKP) poses a looming threat to human health. Although there are numerous studies regarding porin alteration in association with the production of ESBLs and/or AmpC ß-lactamase, a systematic study on the treatment-emergence of porins alteration in antibiotic resistance does not yet exist. The aim of this study was to investigate the underlying mechanism of resistance of K. pneumoniae during carbapenem treatment. RESULTS: Here, we report three strains (FK-2624, FK-2723 and FK-2820) isolated from one patient before and after imipenem treatment during hospitalization. Antibiotic susceptibility testing indicated that that the first isolate, FK-2624, was susceptible to almost all tested antimicrobials, being resistant only to fosfomycin. The subsequent isolates FK-2723 and FK-2820 were multidrug resistant (MDR). After imipenem therapy, FK-2820 was found to be carbapenem-resistant. PCR and Genome Sequencing analysis indicated that oqxA, and fosA5, were identified in all three strains. In addition, FK-2624 also harbored blaSHV-187 and blaTEM-116. The blaSHV-187 and blaTEM-116 genes were not detected in FK-2723 and FK-2820. blaDHA-1, qnrB4, aac (6')-IIc, and blaSHV-12, EreA2, CatA2, SulI, and tetD, were identified in both FK-2723 and FK-2820. Moreover, the genes blaDHA-1, qnrB4, aac (6')-IIc were co-harbored on a plasmid. Of the virulence factors found in this study, ybtA, ICEKp6, mrkD, entB, iroN, rmpA2-6, wzi16 and capsular serotype K57 were found in the three isolates. The results of pairwise comparisons, multi-locus sequencing typing (MLST) and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) revealed high homology among the isolates. Sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) results showed that isolate FK-2820 lacked OmpK36, with genome sequence data validating that there was a premature stop codon in the ompK36 gene and real-time RT-PCR suggesting high turnover of the ompK36 non-sense transcript in FK-2820, with the steady-state mRNA level 0.007 relative to the initial isolate. CONCLUSION: This study in China highlight that the alteration of outer membrane porins due to the 14-day use of imipenem play a potential role in leading to clinical presentation of carbapenem-resistance. This is the first description of increased resistance developing from a carbapenem-susceptible K. pneumoniae with imipenem treatment driven by outer membrane remodeling.