Amending the Efficiency of Antimicrobials against Multidrug-Resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa by Low-Frequency...

Area of Science:

• Microbiology
• Biophysics
• Infectious Diseases

Background:

• Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a significant opportunistic pathogen, particularly in burn wound infections.
• Antibiotic resistance in P. aeruginosa poses a major global health threat.
• Understanding factors influencing bacterial susceptibility is crucial for developing new therapeutic strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the impact of low-frequency magnetic fields (LF-MF) on the antibiotic susceptibility of Pseudomonas aeruginosa.
• To determine the correlation between LF-MF exposure parameters (intensity and duration) and changes in bacterial resistance.

Main Methods:

• Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolates were obtained from 20 burn patients.
• Bacterial samples were exposed to low-frequency magnetic fields at intensities of 0.3 and 0.42 millitesla (mT) for durations of 1 and 2 hours.
• Antibiotic susceptibility testing was performed on exposed and unexposed bacterial samples against 18 different antibiotics.

Main Results:

• Exposure to LF-MF significantly reduced the resistance of P. aeruginosa to multiple antibiotics.
• Increased susceptibility was positively correlated with both magnetic field intensity and exposure duration.
• Specifically, after 2-hour exposure to 0.42 mT, P. aeruginosa showed significantly increased susceptibility to aztreonam, ceftazidime, colistin, imipenem, levofloxacin, and meropenem.
• Resensitization was observed for carbapenems, penicillin, quinolones, and aminoglycosides.

Conclusions:

• Low-frequency magnetic fields can modulate the antibiotic susceptibility of Pseudomonas aeruginosa.
• LF-MF exposure offers a potential adjunctive strategy to enhance the efficacy of existing antibiotics against P. aeruginosa.
• Further research is warranted to explore the mechanisms underlying LF-MF-induced changes in bacterial sensitivity and its clinical applicability.