Specific phospholipids enhance the activity of beta-lactam antibiotics against Pseudomonas aeruginosa

Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO1 became considerably more sensitive to the action of ampicillin when grown in the presence of certain phospholipids. Only phospholipids capable of forming lipid bilayers or micelles proved to be capable of enhancing ampicillin activity. Of the phospholipids tested, 1-palmitoyl-2-hydroxy-sn-glycero-3-phosphate, also called monopalmitoylphosphatidic acid (MPPA), was the best enhancer. In the absence of MPPA, the MIC and MBC of ampicillin for P. aeruginosa PAO1 were 1 and 2 g/L, respectively. In the presence of MPPA, the MIC and MBC were 20 and 40 mg/L, respectively. MPPA was shown to enhance ampicillin activity by binding both Ca(2+) and Mg(2+), suggesting that the mechanism of enhancement is similar to that previously reported for Ca(2+) and Mg(2+) chelators. Surprisingly, MPPA by itself slowed the growth of four mucoid multiply antibiotic-resistant strains of P. aeruginosa recently isolated from the sputum of cystic fibrosis patients, and enhanced their sensitivity to piperacillin. It also increased the sensitivity of two ceftazidime-resistant P. aeruginosa cystic fibrosis strains to ceftazidime.