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Non-antibiotics reverse resistance of bacteria to antibiotics
J E Kristiansen1, V F Thomsen, Ana Martins
1Research Unit for Clinical Microbiology, Southern Danish University, Odense, Denmark.
Background:
Most clinical isolates that exhibit a multi-drug resistant phenotype owe that resistance to over-expressed efflux pumps. Compounds that are efflux pump inhibitors (EPIs) reduce or reverse resistance to antibiotics to which the bacterial strain is initially resistant. We have evaluated non-antibiotics to reduce resistance of commonly encountered bacterial pathogens to antibiotics.
Materials And Methods:
The effect of non-antibiotics on the susceptibility of bacteria to antibiotics was conducted by minimum inhibition concentration determinations of the antibiotic in the absence and presence of the non-antibiotic.
Results:
Non-antibiotics such as chlorpromazine, amitryptiline and trans-chlorprothixene are shown to reduce or reverse resistance of a variety of bacteria to antibiotics.
Conclusion:
The results suggest that non-antibiotics may serve as adjuncts to conventional antibiotics for the therapy of problematic antibiotic infections caused by bacteria that owe their resistance to over-expressed efflux pumps.
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