Antimicrobial Proficiency of Amlodipine: Investigating its Impact on Pseudomonas spp. in Urinary Tract Infections

Area of Science:

• Microbiology
• Pharmacology
• Infectious Diseases

Background:

• Antibiotic resistance in urinary tract infections (UTIs) is a significant global health challenge.
• Extensive antibiotic use has accelerated the development of resistance in UTI-causing pathogens.
• Drug repurposing offers a promising strategy to identify novel antimicrobial agents from existing medications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the potential of amlodipine, a cardiovascular drug, as an antimicrobial agent against Pseudomonas spp. isolated from UTIs.
• To evaluate amlodipine's efficacy in inhibiting key virulence factors and reducing bacterial viability.
• To explore amlodipine as a non-antibiotic therapeutic candidate for UTIs.

Main Methods:

• Eight clinical isolates of Pseudomonas spp. from UTI patients were utilized.
• Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) of amlodipine was determined.
• Impact of amlodipine on bacterial motility (swimming and twitching), biofilm formation, rhamnolipid and pyocyanin production was assessed.
• Cell membrane integrity was evaluated by measuring protein and nucleic acid leakage.

Main Results:

• Amlodipine demonstrated potent antimicrobial activity with MICs ranging from 6.25 to 25 µg/ml.
• Significant reductions were observed in biofilm production (45.75–76.70%), swimming motility (54.66%), and twitching motility (59.45%).
• Amlodipine markedly inhibited pyocyanin production (65.87%) and rhamnolipid synthesis (16.5–0.001 mg/ml).
• Exposure to amlodipine caused bacterial cell membrane damage, evidenced by protein and nucleic acid leakage.

Conclusions:

• Amlodipine exhibits substantial antimicrobial and anti-virulence properties against UTI-associated Pseudomonas spp.
• The drug effectively disrupts bacterial cell integrity and key virulence factors.
• Amlodipine represents a viable candidate for repurposing in the treatment of urinary tract infections.