Impact of the immune response modification by lysophosphatidylcholine in the efficacy of antibiotic therapy of experimental models of peritoneal sepsis and pneumonia by Pseudomonas aeruginosa: LPC therapeutic effect in combined therapy.

INTRODUCTION: Immune response stimulation may be an adjuvant to antimicrobial treatment. Here, we evaluated the impact of immune response modification by lysophosphatidylcholine (LPC), combined with imipenem or ceftazidime, in murine models of peritoneal sepsis (PS) and pneumonia induced by Pseudomonas aeruginosa. METHODS: The imipenem and ceftazidime-susceptible strain (Pa39) and imipenem and ceftazidime-resistant strain (Pa238) were used. Ceftazidime pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic parameters were determined. The therapeutic efficacy and TNF-α and IL-10 levels were determined in murine models of PS and pneumonia induced by Pa39 and Pa238 and treated with LPC, imipenem or ceftazidime, alone or in combination. RESULTS: In the PS model, LPC+ceftazidime reduced spleen and lung Pa238 concentrations (-3.45 and -3.56log10CFU/g; P<0.05) to a greater extent than ceftazidime monotherapy, while LPC+imipenem maintained the imipenem efficacy (-1.66 and -1.45log10CFU/g; P>0.05). In the pneumonia model, LPC+ceftazidime or LPC+imipenem reduced the lung Pa238 concentrations (-2.37log10CFU/g, P=0.1, or -1.35log10CFU/g, P=0.75). For Pa39, no statistically significant difference was observed in the PS and pneumonia models between combined therapy and monotherapy. Moreover, LPC+imipenem and LPC+ceftazidime significantly decreased and increased the TNF-α and IL-10 levels, respectively, in comparison with the untreated controls and monotherapies. CONCLUSIONS: These results demonstrate the impact of immune response modification by LPC plus antibiotics on the prognosis of infections induced by ceftazidime-resistant P. aeruginosa.

Exploration of piperazine-derived thioureas as antibacterial and anti-inflammatory agents. In vitro evaluation against clinical isolates of colistin-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii.

A. baumannii is one of the most important multidrug-resistant microorganisms in hospital units. It is resistant to many classes of antibiotics and the development of new therapeutic strategies is necessary. The aim of this study was to evaluate the antibacterial activity of a set of piperazine-derived thioureas against 13 clinical strains of colistin-resistant A. baumannii. Six derivatives were identified to inhibit bacterial growth of 46% of the A. baumannii strains at low micromolar concentrations (Minimum Inhibitory Concentration from 1.56 to 6.25 µM). A common structural feature in most active compounds was the presence of a 3,5-bis-trifluoromethyl phenyl ring at the thiourea function. In addition, the ability of the compounds to inhibit production of nitric oxide (NO) was examined in RAW 264.7 murine macrophages, highlighting the potential of piperazine-derived thioureas as promising scaffolds for the design of new combined anti-bacterial/anti-inflammatory agents.

Perspectives for clinical use of engineered human host defense antimicrobial peptides.

Infectious diseases caused by bacteria, viruses or fungi are among the leading causes of death worldwide. The emergence of drug-resistance mechanisms, especially among bacteria, threatens the efficacy of all current antimicrobial agents, some of them already ineffective. As a result, there is an urgent need for new antimicrobial drugs. Host defense antimicrobial peptides (HDPs) are natural occurring and well-conserved peptides of innate immunity, broadly active against Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria, viruses and fungi. They also are able to exert immunomodulatory and adjuvant functions by acting as chemotactic for immune cells, and inducing cytokines and chemokines secretion. Moreover, they show low propensity to elicit microbial adaptation, probably because of their non-specific mechanism of action, and are able to neutralize exotoxins and endotoxins. HDPs have the potential to be a great source of novel antimicrobial agents. The goal of this review is to provide an overview of the advances made in the development of human defensins as well as the cathelicidin LL-37 and their derivatives as antimicrobial agents against bacteria, viruses and fungi for clinical use.

Impaired growth under iron-limiting conditions associated with the acquisition of colistin resistance in Acinetobacter baumannii.

Acquisition of colistin resistance in Acinetobacter baumannii has been associated with reduced bacterial fitness and virulence, although the mechanisms underlying this fitness loss have not been well characterised. In this study, the role played by environmental iron levels on the growth and survival of colistin-resistant strains of A. baumannii was assessed. Growth assays with the colistin-susceptible ATCC 19606 strain and its colistin-resistant derivative RC64 [colistin minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of 64 mg/L] demonstrated that the strains grew similarly in rich laboratory medium (Mueller-Hinton broth), whereas RC64 demonstrated impaired growth compared with ATCC 19606 in human serum (>100-fold at 24 h). Compared with RC64, ATCC 19606 grew in the presence of higher concentrations of the iron-specific chelator 2,2'-bipyridine and grew more readily under iron-limiting conditions in solid and liquid media. In addition, iron supplementation of human serum increased the growth of RC64 compared with unsupplemented human serum to a greater extent than ATCC 19606. The ability of 11 colistin-resistant clinical isolates with mutations in the pmrB gene to grow in iron-replete and iron-limiting conditions was assessed, demonstrating that eight of the strains showed reduced growth under iron limitation. Individual mutations in the pmrB gene did not directly correlate with a decreased capacity for growth under iron limitation, suggesting that mutations in pmrB may not directly produce this phenotype. Together these results indicate that acquisition of colistin resistance in A. baumannii can be associated with a decreased ability to grow in low-iron environments.

New molecules and adjuvants in the treatment of infections by Acinetobacter baumannii.

INTRODUCTION: The current problems of the treatment of infections by Acinetobacter baumannii are linked with the increase of multidrug- and extensive-drug resistance and the lack of development of new antimicrobial drugs for Gram-negative bacilli. For these reasons, new alternatives for the treatment and control of severe infections by A. baumannii are necessary. Several studies have reported the effect of adjuvants to restore the efficacy of existing antimicrobial agents. AREAS COVERED: In the present review, the authors describe the main results in the development of adjuvant drugs as well as new data on antimicrobial peptides, in monotherapy or in combination therapy with existing antimicrobial agents, which have shown promising preclinical results in vitro and in vivo. EXPERT OPINION: The preclinical evaluation of adjuvants and antimicrobial peptides, in monotherapy or in combination therapy, for A. baumannii infections has shown promising results. However, caution is needed and further extensive in vivo studies and clinical trials have to be performed to confirm the potential use of these adjuvants as true therapeutic alternatives.

Optimizing the Clinical Use of Vancomycin.

The increasing number of infections produced by beta-lactam-resistant Gram-positive bacteria and the morbidity secondary to these infections make it necessary to optimize the use of vancomycin. In 2009, the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists, the Infectious Diseases Society of America, and the Society of Infectious Disease Pharmacists published specific guidelines about vancomycin dosage and monitoring. However, these guidelines have not been updated in the past 6 years. This review analyzes the new available information about vancomycin published in recent years regarding pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics, serum concentration monitoring, and optimal vancomycin dosing in special situations (obese people, burn patients, renal replacement therapy, among others). Vancomycin efficacy is linked to a correct dosage which should aim to reach an area under the curve (AUC)/MIC ratio of ≥400; serum trough levels of 15 to 20 mg/liter are considered a surrogate marker of an AUC/MIC ratio of ≥400 for a MIC of ≤1 mg/liter. For Staphylococcus aureus strains presenting with a MIC >1 mg/liter, an alternative agent should be considered. Vancomycin doses must be adjusted according to body weight and the plasma trough levels of the drug. Nephrotoxicity has been associated with target vancomycin trough levels above 15 mg/liter. Continuous infusion is an option, especially for patients at high risk of renal impairment or unstable vancomycin clearance. In such cases, vancomycin plasma steady-state level and creatinine monitoring are strongly indicated.

Efficacy of ceftaroline versus vancomycin in an experimental foreign-body and systemic infection model caused by biofilm-producing methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus epidermidis.

In this study, the efficacy of ceftaroline versus vancomycin against biofilm-producing methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus epidermidis (MRSE) in a murine model of foreign-body and systemic infection was compared. Two bacteraemic biofilm-producing MRSE strains were used (SE284 and SE385). The minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) for strains SE284 and SE385, were, respectively, 0.25 mg/L and 0.5 mg/L for ceftaroline and 4 mg/L and 2 mg/L for vancomycin. The in vitro bactericidal activities of ceftaroline and vancomycin were evaluated using time-kill curves. A foreign-body and systemic infection model in neutropenic female C57BL/6 mice was used to ascertain in vivo efficacy. Animals were randomly allocated into three groups (n = 15) without treatment (controls) or treated with ceftaroline 50 mg/kg every 8 h or vancomycin 110 mg/kg every 6 h. In vitro, ceftaroline showed concentration-dependent bactericidal activity, whilst vancomycin presented time-dependent activity. In the experimental in vivo model, ceftaroline and vancomycin decreased the liver and catheter bacterial concentrations (P <0.05) and increased survival (P <0.05) for both strains. In conclusion, ceftaroline is as effective as vancomycin in the treatment of experimental foreign-body and systemic infection caused by biofilm-producing MRSE.

Therapeutic efficacy of lysophosphatidylcholine in severe infections caused by Acinetobacter baumannii.

Due to the significant increase in antimicrobial resistance of Acinetobacter baumannii, immune system stimulation to block infection progression may be a therapeutic adjuvant to antimicrobial treatment. Lysophosphatidylcholine (LPC), a major component of phospholipids in eukaryotic cells, is involved in immune cell recruitment and modulation. The aim of this study was to show if LPC could be useful for treating infections caused by A. baumannii. A. baumannii ATCC 17978 was used in this study. Levels of serum LPC and levels of the inflammatory cytokines tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), interleukin-6 (IL-6), IL-1ß, and IL-10 were determined by spectrophotometric assay and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), respectively, using a murine peritoneal sepsis model in which mice were inoculated with 5.3 log CFU/ml of A. baumannii. The therapeutic efficacy of LPC against A. baumannii in murine peritoneal sepsis and pneumonia models was assessed for 48 h after bacterial infection. At early time points in the murine model of peritoneal sepsis caused by A. baumannii, LPC was depleted and was associated with an increase of inflammatory cytokine release. Preemptive therapy with LPC in murine peritoneal sepsis and pneumonia models markedly enhanced spleen and lung bacterial clearance and reduced the numbers of positive blood cultures and the mouse mortality rates. Moreover, treatment with LPC reduced proinflammatory cytokine production. These data demonstrate that LPC is efficacious as a preemptive treatment in experimental models of peritoneal sepsis and pneumonia caused by A. baumannii.

Colistin resistance in a clinical Acinetobacter baumannii strain appearing after colistin treatment: effect on virulence and bacterial fitness.

The fitness and virulence costs associated with the clinical acquisition of colistin resistance by Acinetobacter baumannii were evaluated. The growth of strain CR17 (colistin resistant) was less than that of strain CS01 (colistin susceptible) when the strains were grown in competition (72-h competition index, 0.008). In a murine sepsis model, CS01 and CR17 reached spleen concentrations when coinfecting of 9.31 and 6.97 log10 CFU/g, respectively, with an in vivo competition index of 0.016. Moreover, CS01 was more virulent than CR17 with respect to mortality and time to death.

Emerging therapies for multidrug resistant Acinetobacter baumannii.

The global emergence of multidrug resistant Acinetobacter baumannii has reduced the number of clinically available antibiotics that retain activity against this pathogen. For this reason, the development of novel prevention and treatment strategies for infections caused by A. baumannii is necessary. Several studies have begun to characterize nonantibiotic approaches that utilize novel mechanisms of action to achieve antibacterial activity. Recent advances in phage therapy, iron chelation therapy, antimicrobial peptides, prophylactic vaccination, photodynamic therapy, and nitric oxide (NO)-based therapies have all been shown to have activity against A. baumannii. However, before these approaches can be used clinically there are still limitations and remaining questions that must be addressed.

Efficacies of colistin and tigecycline in mice with experimental pneumonia due to NDM-1-producing strains of Klebsiella pneumoniae and Escherichia coli.

New Delhi metallo-ß-lactamase-1 (NDM-1)-producing Enterobacteriaceae have emerged as a global threat. The aim of this study was to assess the efficacies of colistin and tigecycline in an experimental model of pneumonia caused by NDM-1-producing Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae. The susceptibilities of K. pneumoniae NDM, E. coli NDM and K. pneumoniae ATCC 29665 were determined using the broth microdilution technique. The pharmacokinetics of colistin and tigecycline in an experimental model of pneumonia were performed using immunocompetent C57BL/6 mice. Mice were treated with colistin (60 mg/kg/day) or tigecycline (10 mg/kg/day). Mortality, bacteraemia and lung bacterial concentrations were recorded. The strains were susceptible to colistin and tigecycline. The ratio of area under the concentration-time curve/minimum inhibitory concentration (AUC/MIC) for colistin was 158.5 (all three strains) and that for tigecycline was 18.5 (K. pneumoniae NDM) and 37 (K. pneumoniae ATCC 29665 and E. coli NDM). In vivo, colistin decreased bacterial lung concentrations of K. pneumoniae NDM and K. pneumoniae ATCC 29665 by 1.16 log colony-forming units (CFU)/g and 2.23 logCFU/g, respectively, compared with controls (not significant). Tigecycline reduced K. pneumoniae NDM and K. pneumoniae ATCC 29665 load by 2.67 logCFU/g and 4.62 logCFU/g (P<0.05). Colistin and tigecycline decreased lung concentrations of E. coli NDM by 2.27 logCFU/g and 4.15 logCFU/g (P<0.05), respectively, compared with controls, and was more active than colistin (P<0.05). In conclusion, these results suggest that colistin is inappropriate for treating pneumonia due to NDM-1-producing K. pneumoniae and its efficacy was suboptimal against NDM-1-producing E. coli. A high tigecycline dose was efficacious for treating experimental pneumonia due to NDM-1-producing E. coli and K. pneumoniae.

Efficacy of beta-lactams against experimental pneumococcal endocarditis caused by strains with different susceptibilities to penicillin.

OBJECTIVES: To compare the in vitro and in vivo activity of penicillin, cefotaxime and ceftriaxone, using three strains of Streptococcus pneumoniae with different susceptibilities to penicillin (MICs of 0.015, 0.25 and 2 mg/L, respectively). METHODS: Time-kill curves and an experimental model of endocarditis in rabbits. RESULTS: Penicillin was efficacious in clearing bacteria from vegetations and blood irrespective of whether infections were caused by penicillin-susceptible or penicillin-resistant strains (P < 0.01 with respect to control groups). The same efficacy was shown with cefotaxime and ceftriaxone. Comparing the results of the in vivo model with those obtained in time-kill curves, penicillin showed the best results. CONCLUSIONS: These results confirm that penicillin is efficacious in the treatment of pneumococcal infections, including those produced by strains with MICs < or = 2 mg/L (with the exception of pneumococcal meningitis). These results also suggest that the breakpoints to define susceptibility and resistance of S. pneumoniae to penicillin must be reviewed, as has been done with amoxicillin and third-generation cephalosporins.

Efficacy of cefepime and imipenem in experimental murine pneumonia caused by porin-deficient Klebsiella pneumoniae producing CMY-2 beta-Lactamase.

Previous studies have shown decreased in vitro activity of zwitterionic cephalosporins and carbapenems against porin-deficient Klebsiella pneumoniae expressing a plasmid-mediated AmpC-type beta-lactamase (PACBL). The in vitro and in vivo activities of cefepime and imipenem were evaluated against the porin-deficient strain K. pneumoniae C2 and its CMY-2-producing derivative [K. pneumoniae C2(pMG248)]. The MICs (in micrograms/milliliter) of cefepime and imipenem against K. pneumoniae C2 were 0.125 and 0.25, respectively, while the corresponding values against K. pneumoniae C2(pMG248) were 8 and 16. Cefepime showed a greater inoculum effect than imipenem against both strains. Imipenem showed a significant postantibiotic effect (>2 h) against K. pneumoniae C2(pMG248) at 1x, 2x, 4x, 6x, and 8x MIC. The maximum concentrations of drug in serum of cefepime and imipenem in a pneumonia model using mice were 124.1 and 16.9 mug/ml, respectively. DeltaT/MIC for K. pneumoniae C2 and C2(pMG248) were 1.29 h and 0.34 h for imipenem and 2.96 h and 1.27 h for cefepime. Both imipenem (30 mg/kg of body weight every 3 h) and cefepime (60 mg/kg every 4 h), administered for 72 h, increased the survival rate (86.6% and 100%) compared with untreated control animals (26.6%, P < 0.003) infected with K. pneumoniae C2. For the CMY-2-producing strain, imipenem, but not cefepime, increased the survival rate compared to the controls (86.6% and 40% versus 40%, P < 0.01). Bacterial concentration of the lungs was significantly decreased by both antimicrobials. In conclusion, imipenem was more active in terms of survival than cefepime for the treatment of murine pneumonia caused by a porin-deficient K. pneumoniae expressing PACBL CMY-2.