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Antibacterial Activity of Cold Atmospheric Pressure Argon Plasma against 78 Genetically Different (mecA, luk-P, agr

Rutger Matthes1, Anne Lührman, Silva Holtfreter

  • 1Institute for Hygiene and Environmental Medicine, Universitx00E4;tsmedizin Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany.

Skin Pharmacology and Physiology
|April 2, 2016
PubMed

Insights

Cold atmospheric argon plasma shows varying effectiveness against Staphylococcus aureus. Certain strains, specifically mecA-positive and luk-P-negative, exhibit reduced susceptibility, highlighting the complexity of antimicrobial treatments.

Area of Science:

  • Microbiology
  • Plasma Physics
  • Antimicrobial Research

Background:

  • Previous research indicates inconsistent antimicrobial effects of cold atmospheric pressure argon plasma on Staphylococcus aureus strains.
  • Variations in plasma efficacy against mecA+ (methicillin-resistant) and mecA- (methicillin-susceptible) Staphylococcus aureus strains have clinical and epidemiological significance.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the antibacterial activity of argon plasma against a diverse collection of 78 Staphylococcus aureus strains.
  • To determine if specific genetic factors, including mecA, luk-P, agr types (1-4), and cell wall capsule polysaccharide types (5 and 8), influence susceptibility to plasma treatment.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized the kINPen09® device as the cold atmospheric pressure argon plasma source for all experiments.
  • Evaluated plasma's antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus strains on agar plates.
  • Stratified bacterial strains based on genetic markers: mecA presence/absence, luk-P, agr types, and capsule types 5/8.

Main Results:

  • Staphylococcus aureus strains positive for mecA and negative for luk-P demonstrated decreased susceptibility to argon plasma treatment compared to other strains.
  • Confirmed a previously observed strain-dependent susceptibility of Staphylococcus aureus to plasma.

Conclusions:

  • The study highlights the intricate nature of microbial resistance mechanisms against antimicrobial interventions.
  • Strain-specific differences in Staphylococcus aureus susceptibility to cold atmospheric pressure argon plasma are confirmed, underscoring the need for tailored treatment strategies.

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