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Effect of elevated atmospheric pressure on antibiotic susceptibility of Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus
Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy
|June 1, 1972
Abstract:
Staphylococcus aureus showed decreased susceptibility to penicillin, vancomycin, sodium cephalothin, and tetracycline, but increased susceptibility to sodium colistimethate, at a pressure of 68 atm in helium or helium-oxygen gas. Susceptibility of Streptococcus pyogenes was unchanged by pressurization.
Insights
High pressure (68 atm) in helium gas altered Staphylococcus aureus antibiotic susceptibility. Streptococcus pyogenes showed no changes in susceptibility to antibiotics under these conditions.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- High-pressure physics
Background:
- Antibiotic resistance is a growing global health threat.
- Understanding factors influencing bacterial susceptibility is crucial for developing new treatments.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the impact of high-pressure helium gas on the antibiotic susceptibility of Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus pyogenes.
Main Methods:
- Bacterial cultures of Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus pyogenes were exposed to 68 atm pressure in helium or helium-oxygen gas.
- Antibiotic susceptibility testing was performed using standard methods.
Main Results:
- Staphylococcus aureus exhibited decreased susceptibility to penicillin, vancomycin, sodium cephalothin, and tetracycline.
- Staphylococcus aureus showed increased susceptibility to sodium colistimethate under high pressure.
- Streptococcus pyogenes' susceptibility to the tested antibiotics remained unchanged.
Conclusions:
- High-pressure helium gas significantly alters the antibiotic susceptibility profile of Staphylococcus aureus.
- The findings suggest that environmental factors like high pressure may influence bacterial response to antibiotics, with potential implications for treating infections in specific environments.