Antibiotic-induced microbiome depletion promotes intestinal colonization by Campylobacter jejuni in mice.

BACKGROUND: To establish a method to induce Campylobacter jejuni colonization in the intestines of C57BL/6 mice through antibiotic-induced microbiome depletion. RESULTS: Fifty-four female C57BL/6 mice were divided into the normal, control, and experimental groups. The experimental group was administered intragastric cefoperazone sodium and sulbactam sodium (50 mg/mL) for 2 days; then, the experimental and control mice were intragastrically administered 200 µL C. jejuni, which was repeated once more after 2 days. Animal feces were collected, and the HipO gene of C. jejuni was detected using TaqMan qPCR from day 1 to day 14 after modeling completion. Immunofluorescence was used to detect intestinal C. jejuni colonization on day 14, and pathological changes were observed using hematoxylin and eosin staining. Additionally, 16S rDNA analyses of the intestinal contents were conducted on day 14. In the experimental group, C. jejuni was detected in the feces from days 1 to 14 on TaqMan qPCR, and immunofluorescence-labeled C. jejuni were visibly discernable in the intestinal lumen. The intestinal mucosa was generally intact and showed no significant inflammatory-cell infiltration. Diversity analysis of the colonic microbiota showed significant inter-group differences. In the experimental group, the composition of the colonic microbiota differed from that in the other 2 groups at the phylum level, and was characterized by a higher proportion of Bacteroidetes and a lower proportion of Firmicutes. CONCLUSIONS: Microbiome depletion induced by cefoperazone sodium and sulbactam sodium could promote long-term colonization of C. jejuni in the intestines of mice.

Montelukast and cefoperazone act as antiquorum sensing and antibiofilm agents against Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

AIMS: Drug repurposing is an attractive strategy to control biofilm-related infectious diseases. In this study, two drugs (montelukast and cefoperazone) with well-established therapeutic applications were tested on Pseudomonas aeruginosa quorum sensing (QS) inhibition and biofilm control. METHODS AND RESULTS: The activity of montelukast and cefoperazone was evaluated for Pqs signal inhibition, pyocyanin synthesis, and prevention and eradication of Ps. aeruginosa biofilms. Cefoperazone inhibited the Pqs system by hindering the production of the autoinducer molecules 2-heptyl-4-hydroxyquinoline (HHQ) and 2-heptyl-3-hydroxy-4(1H)-quinolone (the Pseudomonas quinolone signal or PQS), corroborating in silico results. Pseudomonas aeruginosa pyocyanin production was reduced by 50%. The combination of the antibiotics cefoperazone and ciprofloxacin was synergistic for Ps. aeruginosa biofilm control. On the other hand, montelukast had no relevant effects on the inhibition of the Pqs system and against Ps. aeruginosa biofilm. CONCLUSION: This study provides for the first time strong evidence that cefoperazone interacts with the Pqs system, hindering the formation of the autoinducer molecules HHQ and PQS, reducing Ps. aeruginosa pathogenicity and virulence. Cefoperazone demonstrated a potential to be used in combination with less effective antibiotics (e.g. ciprofloxacin) to potentiate the biofilm control action.

Ureidopenicillins Are Potent Inhibitors of Penicillin-Binding Protein 2 from Multidrug-Resistant Neisseria gonorrhoeae H041.

Effective treatment of gonorrhea is threatened by the increasing prevalence of Neisseria gonorrhoeae strains resistant to the extended-spectrum cephalosporins (ESCs). Recently, we demonstrated the promise of the third-generation cephalosporin cefoperazone as an antigonococcal agent due to its rapid second-order rate of acylation against penicillin-binding protein 2 (PBP2) from the ESC-resistant strain H041 and robust antimicrobial activity against H041. Noting the presence of a ureido moiety in cefoperazone, we evaluated a subset of structurally similar ureido ß-lactams, including piperacillin, azlocillin, and mezlocillin, for activity against PBP2 from H041 using biochemical and structural analyses. We found that the ureidopenicillin piperacillin has a second-order rate of acylation against PBP2 that is 12-fold higher than cefoperazone and 85-fold higher than ceftriaxone and a lower MIC against H041 than ceftriaxone. Surprisingly, the affinity of ureidopenicillins for PBP2 is minimal, indicating that their inhibitory potency is due to a higher rate of the acylation step of the reaction compared to cephalosporins. Enhanced acylation results from the combination of a penam scaffold with a 2,3-dioxopiperazine-containing R1 group. Crystal structures show that the ureido ß-lactams overcome the effects of resistance mutations present in PBP2 from H041 by eliciting conformational changes that are hindered when PBP2 interacts with the weaker inhibitor ceftriaxone. Overall, our results support the potential of piperacillin as a treatment for gonorrhea and provide a framework for the future design of ß-lactams with improved activity against ESC-resistant N. gonorrhoeae.

Nomogram Based on Clinical Characteristics to Predict 28-Day Mortality Among Patients with CRAB-BSI.

BACKGROUND: The drug resistance of carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii bloodstream infections (CRAB-BSI), especially hospital-acquired infections, has promoted their rapid and vast spread. It is necessary to use reliable methods to establish better prediction models. According to Cox proportional hazards regression, a nomogram was established. METHODS: A retrospective cohort study among patients who were diagnosed with CRAB-BSI was performed from January 2020 to December 2022. Univariate and multivariate Cox proportional hazards regression analyses were used to determine independent prognostic factors regarding CRAB-BSI. Then, nomograms were used to calculate the area under the curve (AUC), C-index, and calibration curve to determine the predictive accuracy and dis-criminability. Decision curve analysis (DCA) was employed to further confirm the clinical effectiveness of the nomogram. RESULTS: A total of 98 cases were included in the comparison between the 28-day mortality group consisting of 32 patients and the 28-day survival group with 66 patients. The use of cefoperazone-sulbactam was significantly higher among patients who survived than among those who died. Univariable analysis revealed that factors such as primary diagnosis, time to inadequate antimicrobial therapy, and high serum creatinine and procalcitonin (PCT) levels were more prevalent in the mortality group. However, only primary diagnosis, time to inadequate antimicrobial therapy, and high PCT levels emerged as statistically significant risk factors for death in multivariate analysis and were used to construct the nomogram. The nomogram validation exhibited excellent performance. CONCLUSIONS: The nomogram was sufficiently accurate to predict the risk and prognostic factors of CRAB-BSI, allowing for individualized clinical decisions for future clinical work. The cefoperazone-sulbactam did have an effect, but more studies are needed to interpret it.

In-depth analysis of the treatment effect and synergistic mechanism of TanReQing injection on clinical multi-drug resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

Antibiotic resistance is a recognized and concerning public health issue. Gram-negative bacilli, such as Pseudomonas aeruginosa (P. aeruginosa), are notorious for their rapid development of drug resistance, leading to treatment failures. TanReQing injection (TRQ) was chosen to explore its pharmacological mechanisms against clinical multidrug-resistant P. aeruginosa (MDR-PA), given its antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties. We revealed the expression of proteins and genes in P. aeruginosa after co-culture with TRQ. This study developed an assessment method to evaluate clinical resistance of P. aeruginosa using MALDI-TOF MS identification and Biotyper database searching techniques. Additionally, it combined MIC determination to investigate changes in MDR-PA treated by TRQ. TRQ effectively reduced the MICs of ceftazidime and cefoperazone and enhanced the confidence scores of MDR-PA as identified by mass spectrometry. Using this evaluation method, the fingerprints of standard P. aeruginosa and MDR-PA were compared, and the characteristic peptide sequence (Seq-PA No. 1) associated with flagellum was found. The phenotypic experiments were conducted to confirm the effect of TRQ on the motility and adhesion of P. aeruginosa. A combination of co-immunoprecipitation and proteome analysis was employed, and 16 proteins were significantly differentially expressed and identified as potential candidates for investigating the mechanism of inhibiting resistance in P. aeruginosa treated by TRQ. The candidates were verified by quantitative real-time PCR analysis, and TRQ may affect these core proteins (MexA, MexB, OprM, OprF, OTCase, IDH, and ASL) that influence resistance of P. aeruginosa. The combination of multiple methods helps elucidate the synergistic mechanism of TRQ in overcoming resistance of P. aeruginosa.IMPORTANCEPseudomonas aeruginosa is an opportunistic pathogen closely associated with various life-threatening acute and chronic infections. The presence of antimicrobial resistance and multidrug resistance in P. aeruginosa infections significantly complicates antibiotic treatment. The expression of ß-lactamase, efflux systems such as MexAB-OprM, and outer membrane permeability are considered to have the greatest impact on the sensitivity of P. aeruginosa. The study used a method to assess the clinical resistance of P. aeruginosa using matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time of flight mass spectrometry identification and Biotyper database search techniques. TanReQing injection (TRQ) effectively reduced the MICs of ceftazidime and cefoperazone in multidrug-resistant P. aeruginosa (MDR-PA) and improved the confidence scores for co-cultured MDR-PA. The study found a characteristic peptide sequence for distinguishing whether P. aeruginosa is resistant. Through co-immunoprecipitation and proteome analysis, we explored the mechanism of TRQ overcoming resistance of P. aeruginosa.

Probing the interaction of cephalosporin antibiotic "cefoperazone" with lysozyme using spectroscopic and in silico methods: Effect of paracetamol on binding.

The interaction of lysozyme with cefoperazone was studied by means of spectroscopic and computational approaches. The change in the UV-visible spectrum of lysozyme in presence of cefoperazone was an indication of the complex formation between them. Fluorescence spectroscopy suggested that there was a fair interaction between the protein and drug which was taken place via dynamic quenching mechanism and the binding ratio was approximately 1:1. The binding was energetically feasible and principally supported by the hydrophobic forces. CD spectroscopic studies have shown that cefoperazone induced the secondary structure of lysozyme by increasing the α-helical contents of the latter. In silico studies revealed that the large nonpolar cavity was the preferred binding site of cefoperazone within lysozyme and the interaction was taken place mainly through hydrophobic forces with small involvement of hydrogen bonding and electrostatic interactions which is in good agreement with the experimental analyses. Effect of paracetamol was also seen on the binding and it was found that paracetamol had a negative influence on the binding between cefoperazone and lysozyme.

Intestinal colonization with Candida auris and mucosal immune response in mice treated with cefoperazone oral antibiotic.

Candida auris, an emerging multi-drug resistant fungal pathogen, causes invasive infections in humans. The factors regulating the colonization of C. auris in host niches are not well understood. In this study, we examined the effect of antibiotic-induced gut dysbiosis on C. auris intestinal colonization, dissemination, microbiome composition and the mucosal immune response. Our results indicate that mice treated with cefoperazone alone had a significant increase in C. auris intestinal colonization compared to untreated control groups. A significant increase in the dissemination of C. auris from the intestine to internal organs was observed in antibiotic-treated immunosuppressed mice. Intestinal colonization of C. auris alters the microbiome composition of antibiotic-treated mice. Relative abundance of firmicutes members mainly Clostridiales and Paenibacillus were considerably increased in the cefoperazone-treated mice infected with C. auris compared to cefoperazone-treated uninfected mice. Next, we examined the mucosal immune response of C. auris infected mice and compared the results with Candida albicans infection. The number of CD11b+ CX3CR1+ macrophages was significantly decreased in the intestine of C. auris infected mice when compared to C. albicans infection. On the other hand, both C. auris and C. albicans infected mice had a comparable increase of the number of Th17 and Th22 cells in the intestine. A significant increase in Candida-specific IgA was observed in the serum of C. auris but not in the C. albicans infected mice. Taken together, treatment with broad-spectrum antibiotic increased the colonization and dissemination of C. auris from the intestine. Furthermore, findings from this study for the first time revealed the microbiome composition, innate and adaptive cellular immune response to intestinal infection with C. auris.

Differential Proteomic and Genomic Comparison of Resistance Mechanism of Pseudomonas aeruginosa to Cefoperazone Sodium/Sulbactam Sodium.

The aim of this study was to determine the resistance mechanism of Pseudomonas aeruginosa to cefoperazone sodium/sulbactam sodium. We retrospectively analyzed the drug resistance of P.a isolated at the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University. Drug-resistant P.a strains were constructed, then wild-type (WT) and drug-resistant (DR) strains were compared using protein and gene microarrays to determine differences between DR and WT strains. The resistance rates of P. aeruginosa during 2013, 2014 and 2015 were 21.2%, 21.4%, and 24.6% respectively. Among 242 protein peaks of WT and DR bacteriophage proteins, 41 were differentially expressed between the two groups. The expression of 26 and 15 proteins were respectively upregulated and downregulated in the DR compared with the WT group. Gene microarray results revealed 679 mutant loci in the DR group, of which 42 with the top 50 Q values were found in the NCBI database. The rate of P.a resistance to cefoperazone sodium/sulbactam sodium remained high between 2013 and 2015. The numbers of different proteins and genetic variations in the DR strains suggested that the resistance mechanism of P.a to cefoperazone sodium/sulbactam sodium involves multiple genes and proteins that might be key to controlling P.a resistance to cefoperazone sodium/sulbactam sodium.

In vitro activity of eravacycline and cefoperazone/ sulbactam against extensively-drug resistant and pan-drug resistant Acinetobacter baumannii isolates from a tertiary hospital in Greece.

We evaluated the in vitro activity of eravacycline and cefoperazone/sulbactam against 42 XDR and 58 PDR Acinetobacter baumannii isolates from blood and bronchoalveolar infections. The minimum and maximum MICs for eravacycline were 0.125 and 4 mg/L, respectively. The MIC50 was 2 mg/L and the MIC90 was 3 mg/L. The minimum and maximum MICs for cefoperazone/sulbactam were 24 and >256 mg/L, respectively. The MIC50 and MIC90 were both >256 mg/L. These novel agents were not adequate for the treatment of A. baumannii infections in our hospital and we recommend that mi- crobiology laboratories perform their own evaluations before including them in clinical practice.

Diluted Fecal Community Transplant Restores Clostridioides difficile Colonization Resistance to Antibiotic-Perturbed Murine Communities.

Fecal communities transplanted into individuals can eliminate recurrent Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI) with high efficacy. However, this treatment is only used once CDI becomes resistant to antibiotics or has recurred multiple times. We sought to investigate whether a fecal community transplant (FCT) pretreatment could be used to prevent CDI altogether. We treated male C57BL/6 mice with either clindamycin, cefoperazone, or streptomycin and then inoculated them with the microbial community from untreated mice before challenge with C. difficile. We measured colonization and sequenced the V4 region of the 16S rRNA gene to understand the dynamics of the murine fecal community in response to the FCT and C. difficile challenge. Clindamycin-treated mice became colonized with C. difficile but cleared it naturally and did not benefit from the FCT. Cefoperazone-treated mice became colonized by C. difficile, but the FCT enabled clearance of C. difficile. In streptomycin-treated mice, the FCT was able to prevent C. difficile from colonizing. We then diluted the FCT and repeated the experiments. Cefoperazone-treated mice no longer cleared C. difficile. However, streptomycin-treated mice colonized with 1:102 dilutions resisted C. difficile colonization. Streptomycin-treated mice that received an FCT diluted 1:103 became colonized with C. difficile but later cleared the infection. In streptomycin-treated mice, inhibition of C. difficile was associated with increased relative abundance of a group of bacteria related to Porphyromonadaceae and Lachnospiraceae. These data demonstrate that C. difficile colonization resistance can be restored to a susceptible community with an FCT as long as it complements the missing populations. IMPORTANCE Antibiotic use, ubiquitous with the health care environment, is a major risk factor for Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI), the most common nosocomial infection. When C. difficile becomes resistant to antibiotics, a fecal microbiota transplant from a healthy individual can effectively restore the gut bacterial community and eliminate the infection. While this relationship between the gut bacteria and CDI is well established, there are no therapies to treat a perturbed gut community to prevent CDI. This study explored the potential of restoring colonization resistance to antibiotic-induced susceptible gut communities. We described the effect that gut bacterial community variation has on the effectiveness of a fecal community transplant for inhibiting CDI. These data demonstrated that communities susceptible to CDI can be supplemented with fecal communities but that the effectiveness depended on the structure of the community following the perturbation. Thus, a reduced bacterial community may be able to recover colonization resistance in patients treated with antibiotics.

Nitrite Promotes ROS Production to Potentiate Cefoperazone-Sulbactam-Mediated Elimination to Lab-Evolved and Clinical-Evolved Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

Cefoperazone-sulbactam (SCF)-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa poses a big challenge in the use of SCF to treat infection caused by the pathogen. We have recently shown exogenous nitrite-enabled killing of naturally and artificially evolved Pseudomonas aeruginosa strains (AP-RCLIN-EVO and AP-RLAB-EVO, respectively) by SCF. However, the underlying mechanism is unknown. Here, reprogramming metabolomics was adopted to investigate how nitrite enhanced the SCF-mediated killing efficacy. Nitrite-reprogrammed metabolome displayed an activated pyruvate cycle (P cycle), which was confirmed by elevated activity of pyruvate dehydrogenase (PDH), α-ketoglutarate dehydrogenase, succinate dehydrogenase, and malate dehydrogenase. The activated P cycle provided NADH for the electron transport chain and thereby increased reactive oxygen species (ROS), which potentiated SCF to kill AP-RCLIN-EVO and AP-RLAB-EVO. The nitrite-enabled killing of AP-RCLIN-EVO and AP-RLAB-EVO by SCF was inhibited by PDH inhibitor furfural and ROS scavenger N-Acetyl-L-cysteine but promoted by ROS promoter Fe3+. SCF alone could not induce ROS, but SCF-mediated killing efficacy was enhanced by ROS. In addition, the present study demonstrated that nitrite repressed antioxidants, which were partly responsible for the elevated ROS. These results reveal a nitrite-reprogrammed metabolome mechanism by which AP-RCLIN-EVO and AP-RLAB-EVO sensitivity to SCF is elevated. IMPORTANCE Antibiotic-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa has become a real concern in hospital-acquired infections, especially in critically ill and immunocompromised patients. Understanding antibiotic resistance mechanisms and developing novel control measures are highly appreciated. We have recently shown that a reduced nitrite-dependent NO biosynthesis contributes to cefoperazone-sulbactam (SCF) resistance, which is reverted by exogenous nitrite, in both naturally and artificially evolved P. aeruginosa strains (AP-RCLIN-EVO and AP-RLAB-EVO, respectively). However, the mechanism is unknown. The present study reports that the nitrite-enabled killing of AP-RCLIN-EVO and AP-RLAB-EVO by SCF is attributed to the promoted production of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Nitrite activates the pyruvate cycle to generate NADH for the electron transport chain, which in turn promotes ROS generation. Nitrite-potentiated SCF-mediated killing is decreased by pyruvate dehydrogenase inhibitor furfural and ROS scavenger N-Acetyl-L-cysteine but increased by ROS promoter Fe3+. Furthermore, SCF-mediated killing is promoted by H2O2 in a dose-dependent manner. In addition, the combination of nitrite and H2O2 greatly enhances SCF-mediated killing. These results not only disclose a nitrite-ROS-potentiated SCF-mediated killing, but also show SCF-mediated killing is dependent upon ROS.

Diminished Susceptibility to Cefoperazone/Sulbactam and Piperacillin/Tazobactam in Enterobacteriaceae Due to Narrow-Spectrum ß-Lactamases as Well as Omp Mutation.

Cefoperazone/sulbactam (CSL) and piperacillin/tazobactam (TZP) are commonly used in clinical practice in China because of their excellent antimicrobial activity. CSL and TZP-nonsusceptible Enterobacteriaceae are typically resistant to extended-spectrum cephalosporins such as ceftriaxone (CRO). However, 11 nonrepetitive Enterobacteriaceae strains, which were resistant to CSL and TZP yet susceptible to CRO, were collected from January to December 2020. Antibiotic susceptibility tests and whole-genome sequencing were conducted to elucidate the mechanism for this rare phenotype. Antibiotic susceptibility tests showed that all isolates were amoxicillin/clavulanic-acid resistant and sensitive to ceftazidime, cefepime, cefepime/tazobactam, cefepime/zidebactam, ceftazidime/avibactam, and ceftolozane/tazobactam. Whole-genome sequencing revealed three of seven Klebsiella pneumoniae strains harbored bla SHV-1 only, and four harbored bla SHV-1 and bla TEM-1B. Two Escherichia coli strains carried bla TEM-1B only, while two Klebsiella oxytoca isolates harbored bla OXY-1-3 and bla OXY-1-1, respectively. No mutation in the ß-lactamase gene and promoter sequence was found. Outer membrane protein (Omp) gene detection revealed that numerous missense mutations of OmpK36 and OmpK37 were found in all strains of K. pneumoniae. Numerous missense mutations of OmpK36 and OmpK35 and OmpK37 deficiency were found in one K. oxytoca strain, and no OmpK gene was found in the other. No Omp mutations were found in E. coli isolates. These results indicated that narrow spectrum ß-lactamases, TEM-1, SHV-1, and OXY-1, alone or in combination with Omp mutation, contributed to the resistance to CSL and TZP in CRO-susceptible Enterobacteriaceae. Antibiotic susceptibility tests Antibiotics Breakpoint, (µg/ml) Klebsiella pneumoniae Escherichia cou Klebriehd axyoca E1 E3 E4 E7 E9 E10 E11 E6 E8 E2 E5 CRO ≤1≥4 ≤0.5 ≤0.5 ≤0.5 ≤0.5 1 ≤0.5 1 ≤0.5 ≤0.5 1 1 CAZ 4 ≥16 1 2 1 4 4 4 4 2 4 1 1 FEP ≤2 216 1 1 0.25 1 2 2 2 0.5 2 1 1 AMC ≤8 ≥32 ≥128 ≥128 ≥128 ≥128 ≥128 ≥128 ≥128 ≥128 ≥128 ≥128 ≥128 CSL ≤16 ≥64 64 64 64 64 ≥128 128 ≥128 64 128 128 ≥128 TZP ≤16 ≥128 ≥256 ≥256 ≥256 ≥256 2256 2256 ≥256 ≥256 ≥256 ≥256 ≥256 FPT ≤2 ≥16 1 0.5 0.06 0.125 2 1 2 0.25 1 0.125 0.25 FPZ ≤2 216 0.25 0.25 0.06 0.125 0.25 0.25 1 0.125 0.25 0.125 0.125 CZA ≤8 216 1 0.5 0.25 0.25 1 0.25 1 0.5 0.5 0.5 0.25 CZT ≤2 28 2 1 0.5 1 2 2 2 1 1 2 2 CROceftriaxone, CAZceftazidime, FEPcefepime, AMC:amoxicillin clavulanic-acid, CSLcefoperazone/sulbactam, TZP:piperadllin/tazobactam, FPT:cefepime tazobactam, FPZ:cefepime/zidebactam, CZA:ceftazidime/avibactam, CZTceftolozane/tazobactam Gene sequencing results Number Strain ST p-Lactamase gene Promoter sequence mutation Omp mutation El Kpn 45 blaSHV-1, blaTEM-lB none OmpK36, OmpK3 7 E3 Kpn 45 blaSHV-1, blaTEM-lB none OmpK36. OmpK3 7 E4 Kpn 2854 blaSHV-1 none OmpK36, OmpK3 7 E7 Kpn 2358 blaSHV-1 - blaTEM-lB none OmpK36, OmpK3 7 E9 Kpn 2358 blaSHV-1. blaTEM-lB none OmpK36. OmpK3 7 E10 Kpn 18 9 blaSHV-1 none OmpK36. OmpK3 7 Ell Kpn 45 blaSHV-1 none OmpK36, OmpK3 7 E6 Eco 88 blaTEM-lB none none ES Eco 409 blaTEM-1B none none E2 Kox 194 blaOXY-1-3 none OmpK36 mutations. OmpK35 and OmpK 37 deficiency E5 Kox 11 blaOXY-1-1 none no OmpK (OmpK3 5, OmpK36 and OmpK37) gene found.

Observation of clinical efficacy of the cefoperazone/sulbactam anti-infective regimen in the treatment of multidrug-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii lung infection.

WHAT IS KNOWN AND OBJECTIVE: Sulbactam and sulbactam-containing ß-lactam antibiotics are often used in the treatment of Acinetobacter baumannii. We aimed to further examine the clinical efficacy of a cefoperazone/sulbactam anti-infective regimen in multidrug-resistant A. baumannii (MDRAB) lung infections. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective analysis among patients with MDRAB lung infection and complete data who were treated at the geriatric intensive care unit of Jiangsu Province Hospital from January 2018 to December 2020. We collected general information, including age, sex, APACHE II score, anti-infective course, comorbid infections in other sites, other pathogens, cefoperazone/sulbactam regimen and concomitant medications, and adverse reactions. We used microbiological changes before and after treatment to assess microbiological efficacy, defined as microbial eradication and reduction. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: 121 patients were included, among which 96 (79.34%) were men and 25 (20.66%) were women. The median age was 76 (interquartile range [IQR] 62.5-83) years, median APACHE II score was 22 (IQR 19-26), and median treatment course was 8 (IQR 5-12.5) days. Among these patients, tigecycline was concomitantly used in 52 patients and the sulbactam dose was increased to 4 g and above in 27 patients. The microbiological efficacy of conventional cefoperazone/sulbactam with/without tigecycline in MDRAB decreased with each consecutive year and a reduction in efficacy was linearly correlated with year, which was both statistically significant (p = 0.039, 0.030, respectively). In 2020, the microbiological efficacy of a higher sulbactam dose combined with tigecycline was 75%, which was a significant improvement over the conventional dose (p = 0.028). The 3-year data showed that the microbiological efficacy of conventional cefoperazone/sulbactam 3 g eight hourly (q8h) without tigecycline was 32% and efficacy increased to 57.9% when the sulbactam dose was increased. Hence, the increased sulbactam dose significantly improved efficacy in MDRAB lung infection (p = 0.049). Different doses of sulbactam combined with tigecycline increased the microbiological efficacy of MDRAB but the differences were not statistically significant. WHAT IS NEW AND CONCLUSION: A cefoperazone/sulbactam-based anti-infective regimen showed some efficacy in MDRAB lung infection, but the microbiological efficacy of a cefoperazone/sulbactam 3 g q8h regimen decreased over time. Increasing the sulbactam dose to 4 g or more can improve efficacy. Minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC)-guided personalized medicine may be a future research direction.

Pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic analysis of cefoperazone/sulbactam for the treatment of pediatric sepsis by Monte Carlo simulation.

Pediatric sepsis syndrome is one of the most common reasons for pediatric intensive care unit hospitalization (PICU). Cefoperazone/sulbactam is a time-dependent beta-lactamase inhibitor combination which has been widely used in the treatment of sepsis. But the pharmacokinetic (PK) and pharmacodynamic (PD) data of cefoperazone/sulbactam are unknown in children with sepsis. The present work aimed to determine whether the usual dosing regimens of cefoperazone/sulbactam (1 hour infusion, 50 mg kg-1, every 12 hours) were suitable for these patients in PICU. A total of fourteen patients were enrolled and the PK parameters were estimated by non-compartmental analysis using WinNonlin software. The t1/2 and AUC0-12 of cefoperazone and sulbactam were 3.60 and 1.77 h, and 900.97 and 67.68 h µg mL-1, respectively. The Vd and CL of cefoperazone and sulbactam were 1.65 L and 5.16 L, and 17.41 mL min-1 and 122.62 mL min-1, respectively. The probability of target attainments (PTAs) of cefoperazone at different minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) based on the percentage time that concentrations exceed the minimum inhibitory concentration (% T > MIC) value were performed by Monte Carlo simulation and PTA was >90% at MICs ≤16 µg mL-1. The PK/PD profile of dosing regimens tested will assist in selecting the appropriate cefoperazone/sulbactam regimens for these patients. At a target of 80% T > MIC, the usual dosing regimens can provide good coverage for pathogens with MICs of ≤32 µg mL-1. The ratio between cefoperazone and sulbactam at 1 : 1 may be more suitable in pediatric sepsis. Individual dose and therapeutic drug monitoring in clinical practice will help achieve the best therapeutic effect while minimizing toxicity.

Antibiotic Susceptibility Pattern of Aerobic Bacterial Pathogen Isolated from Endotracheal Aspirate.

BACKGROUND: Ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) is one of the major hospital-acquired infections and the emergence of bacterial resistance is common among patients in the intensive care units (ICUs). The aim of the study is to identify the common bacterial pathogen isolated from an endotracheal (ET) aspirate and its antibiotic susceptibility pattern. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A prospective analytical study was carried out in a tertiary care hospital for a period of 1 year. All ET aspirate sample sent to the microbiology laboratory was processed and identified by standard biochemical tests and antibiotic sensitivity was by disk diffusion method as per Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) guidelines. RESULTS: Of the total 217 samples studied, 85 (39.17.1%) were culture sterile and 132 (60.82%) showed culture positive. Among 132 isolates, the predominant organism was Acinetobacter baumannii (36.36%) followed by Klebsiella pneumoniae (24.24%) and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (20.45%). We have reported a higher percentage of resistance among the isolated gram-negative bacilli to carbapenems, aminoglycosides, and third-generation cephalosporins, with increased sensitivity to piperacillin-tazobactam and cefoperazone-sulbactam. CONCLUSION: In our study, A. baumannii was the predominantly isolated gram-negative bacilli followed by K. pneumoniae and P. aeruginosa. One of the rising concerns to hospital-acquired respiratory pathogens is the surge of multidrug resistance patterns. Hence, strict adherence to antibiotic policy and appropriate use according to the guidelines will save the use of drugs in the future in life-threatening conditions.

[Antibiotic resistance of strains of gram-positive cocci isolated from prostate secretion in men with chronic bacterial prostatitis].

OBJECTIVE: to characterize the antibiotic resistance of gram-positive cocci strains isolated from the prostate secretion in men with chronic bacterial prostatitis at the level of phenotype and genotype. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Bacteria were isolated from the prostate secretion of men of reproductive age (20-45 years) with chronic bacterial prostatitis by conventional bacteriological method. The type of microorganisms was determined by MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry. Resistance to 16 antibiotics of 31 strains of E. faecalis and 91 cultures of coagulase-negative staphylococci (CoNS) was determined by the disk diffusion method. Antibiotic resistance genes (mecA; blaZ; aac(6)- aph (2); ant (4)-Ia; aph (3)-IIIa; gyrA, grlA) were detected using polymerase chain reaction (PCR ) using selected primers. RESULTS: A high resistance of enterococci to antibacterial drugs was revealed: fluoroquinolones, carbapenens, cephalosporins (with the exception of cefoperazone), gentamicin and oxacillin. It has been established that CoNS are characterized by variable antibiotic resistance, while: isolates of S. epidermidis and S. haemolyticus are resistant to all studied fluoroquinolones and carbapenems; S. warneri to carbapenems and the vast majority of studied cephalosporins; S. saprophyticus - to aminoglycosides. Amoxiclav and cefoperazone are characterized by the highest activity against clinical isolates. Using PCR, the presence of genetic determinants of resistance to aminoglycosides and -lactams was established in the isolates, with a predominance of the studied genes in CoNS. CONCLUSION: For effective antibiotic therapy in chronic bacterial prostatitis, it is necessary to conduct regional monitoring of the resistance of microorganisms to antibacterial drugs.

In Vitro Activity of Various Sulbactam Compounds and Piperacillin/Tazobactam against Clinical Isolates of Different Gram-Negative Bacteria.

To provide direction for clinical application and pharmaceutical exploitation, the in vitro activity of sulbactam compounds and PIP/TAZ 8 : 1 against clinical isolates of Gram-negative bacteria (GNB, n = 976) was evaluated according to Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) 2019. By minimal inhibitory concentrations (MICs), the resistance rate of all GNB to AMP/SBT 2 : 1 (56.9-100%) was significantly higher than other drugs, except the resistance rate of Acinetobacter baumannii (Aba, n = 204) to piperacillin/tazobactam (PIP/TAZ 8 : 1, 78.4%) which was close to it (76.5%). Additionally, the resistance rate of Aba to other compounds except AMP/SBT 2 : 1 differed greatly, but that of Klebsiella pneumonia (Kpn, n = 205) varied rarely. In addition, Escherichia coli (Eco, n = 204) and Kpn demonstrated low and high resistance rates, respectively. Compared with cefoperazone/sulbactam (CPZ/SBT 2 : 1), PIP/TAZ 8 : 1 had advantage in anti-Eco (RR = 0.5and OR = 2.17) and anti-Kpn activity (RR = 0.88and OR = 1.27), while its activity against Pseudomonas aeruginosa (Pae: n = 194, RR = 0.91, and OR = 1.12), Aba (RR = 1.31 and OR = 0.41), and other Enterobacteriaceae (other Ebc: n = 169, RR = 1.40, and OR = 0.62) was not better than CPZ/SBT 2 : 1. Although it had advantage against Eco (RR = 0.60 and OR = 1.78), Pae (RR = 0.67 and OR = 1.63), and Aba (RR = 0.70 and OR = 2.05), the inhibition effect of piperacillin/sulbactam (PIP/SBT 2 : 1) against Kpn (RR = 0.94 and OR = 1.12) and other Ebc was just similar with CPZ/SBT 2 : 1 (RR = 0.93 and OR = 1.10). Furthermore, the anti-Eco (RR = 0.70 and OR = 1.50), anti-Kpn (RR = 0.89 and OR = 1.24), and anti-Pae (RR = 0.74 and OR = 1.46) activities of ceftazidime/sulbactam (CAZ/SBT 1 : 1) had a weak advantage, while its activity against Aba (RR = 0.94 and OR = 1.15) and other Ebc (RR = 0.79 and OR = 1.36) was just close to CPZ/SBT 2 : 1. Moreover, the inhibitory effect of PIP/SBT 1 : 1 against all tested clinical species was more active than CPZ/SBT 2 : 1, while that of CAZ/SBT 2 : 1 against all species of bacteria analyzed was weaker than the controls.

Quorum Sensing Inhibiting Activity of Cefoperazone and Its Metallic Derivatives on Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

The last decade has witnessed a massive increase in the rate of mortalities caused by multidrug-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Therefore, developing new strategies to control virulence factors and pathogenicity has received much attention. One of these strategies is quorum sensing inhibition (QSI) which was developed to control Pseudomonas infection. This study aims to validate the effect of one of the most used ß-lactam antibiotics; cefoperazone (CFP) and its metallic-derivatives on quorum sensing (QS) and virulence factors of P. aeruginosa. Assessment of quorum sensing inhibitory activity of CFP, cefoperazone Iron complex (CFPF) and cefoperazone Cobalt complex (CFPC) was performed by using reporter strain Chromobacterium violaceum ATCC 12472. Minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) was carried out by the microbroth dilution method. The influence of sub-MICs (1/4 and 1/2 MICs) of CFP, CFPF and CFPC on virulence factors of P. aeruginosa was evaluated. Data was confirmed on the molecular level by RT-PCR. Also, molecular docking analysis was conducted to figure out the possible mechanisms of QSI. CFP, CFPF, and CFPC inhibited violacein pigment production of C. violaceum ATCC 12472. Sub-MICs of CFP (128- 256 µg/mL), and significantly low concentrations of CFPC (0.5- 16 µg/mL) and CFPF (0.5- 64 µg/mL) reduced the production of QS related virulence factors such as pyocyanin, protease, hemolysin and eliminated biofilm assembly by P. aeruginosa standard strains PAO1 and PA14, and P. aeruginosa clinical isolates Ps1, Ps2, and Ps3, without affecting bacterial viability. In addition, CFP, CFPF, and CFPC significantly reduced the expression of lasI and rhlI genes. The molecular docking analysis elucidated that the QS inhibitory effect was possibly caused by the interaction with QS receptors. Both CFPF and CFPC interacted strongly with LasI, LasR and PqsR receptors with a much high ICM scores compared to CFP that could be the cause of elimination of natural ligand binding. Therefore, CFPC and CFPF are potent inhibitors of quorum sensing signaling and virulence factors of P. aeruginosa.

Non-responder phenotype reveals apparent microbiome-wide antibiotic tolerance in the murine gut.

Broad spectrum antibiotics cause both transient and lasting damage to the ecology of the gut microbiome. Antibiotic-induced loss of gut bacterial diversity has been linked to susceptibility to enteric infections. Prior work on subtherapeutic antibiotic treatment in humans and non-human animals has suggested that entire gut communities may exhibit tolerance phenotypes. In this study, we validate the existence of these community tolerance phenotypes in the murine gut and explore how antibiotic treatment duration or a diet enriched in antimicrobial phytochemicals might influence the frequency of this phenotype. Almost a third of mice exhibited whole-community tolerance to a high dose of the ß-lactam antibiotic cefoperazone, independent of antibiotic treatment duration or dietary phytochemical amendment. We observed few compositional differences between non-responder microbiota during antibiotic treatment and the untreated control microbiota. However, gene expression was vastly different between non-responder microbiota and controls during treatment, with non-responder communities showing an upregulation of antimicrobial tolerance genes, like efflux transporters, and a down-regulation of central metabolism. Future work should focus on what specific host- or microbiome-associated factors are responsible for tipping communities between responder and non-responder phenotypes so that we might learn to harness this phenomenon to protect our microbiota from routine antibiotic treatment.

Deferasirox (ExJade): An FDA-Approved AIEgen Platform with Unique Photophysical Properties.

Deferasirox, ExJade, is an FDA-approved iron chelator used for the treatment of iron overload. In this work, we report several fluorescent deferasirox derivatives that display unique photophysical properties, i.e., aggregation-induced emission (AIE), excited state intramolecular proton transfer, charge transfer, and through-bond and through-space conjugation characteristics in aqueous media. Functionalization of the phenol units on the deferasirox scaffold afforded the fluorescent responsive pro-chelator ExPhos, which enabled the detection of the disease-based biomarker alkaline phosphatase (ALP). The diagnostic potential of these deferasirox derivatives was supported by bacterial biofilm studies.