Diclofenac in the management of E. coli urinary tract infections

Area of Science:

• Microbiology
• Pharmacology
• Infectious Diseases

Background:

• Escherichia coli (E. coli) is the primary cause of uncomplicated urinary tract infections (UTIs), leading to significant public health challenges.
• The rise of multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacterial strains necessitates the development of novel antimicrobial agents to combat infections like UTIs.
• Current antibiotic treatments face limitations due to increasing bacterial resistance, highlighting the urgent need for alternative therapeutic strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the in vitro antibacterial activity of the anti-inflammatory drug diclofenac against clinically isolated strains of E. coli from UTI patients.
• To assess the efficacy of diclofenac as a potential therapeutic agent for UTIs caused by E. coli, particularly in the context of antibiotic resistance.

Main Methods:

• Collected 136 urine samples from patients diagnosed with UTIs.
• Isolated E. coli strains from 85 samples and determined their resistance patterns to common antibiotics.
• Evaluated the in vitro inhibitory effect of diclofenac on E. coli isolates using minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) assays.

Main Results:

• 33% of the isolated E. coli strains exhibited resistance to commonly prescribed antibiotics.
• All E. coli isolates demonstrated sensitivity to diclofenac.
• The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values for diclofenac ranged from 5-50 microg/mL, with an MIC90 of 25 microg/mL.

Conclusions:

• Diclofenac exhibits significant in vitro antibacterial activity against clinical isolates of E. coli.
• The findings suggest that diclofenac holds potential as an alternative therapeutic agent for treating UTIs caused by E. coli, including multidrug-resistant strains.