Interaction between acetohydroxamic acid and 12 antibiotics against 14 gram-negative pathogenic bacteria

Area of Science:

• Microbiology
• Pharmacology
• Urology

Background:

• Acetohydroxamic acid (AHA) inhibits urease, preventing urine alkalinization and stone formation in bacterial infections.
• Previous studies suggested antibacterial effects of AHA and synergy with kanamycin.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the in vitro interactions between acetohydroxamic acid (AHA) and 12 common antibiotics.
• To evaluate the combined antibacterial effects against a panel of 14 gram-negative bacteria.

Main Methods:

• Broth microdilution assays were used to determine the minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of AHA alone and in combination with antibiotics.
• Interactions were classified as synergistic, additive, indifferent, or antagonistic based on fractional inhibitory concentration indices.

Main Results:

• Synergistic antibacterial activity between AHA and antibiotics was observed in 17% of tested interactions.
• Antagonistic effects were detected in 5% of the interactions.
• A significant portion of interactions showed no significant change or additive effects.

Conclusions:

• The antibacterial effect of combining acetohydroxamic acid with antibiotics is variable and unpredictable.
• Individual bacterial pathogens must be tested to determine the efficacy of AHA-antibiotic combinations.
• Further research is needed to identify specific bacterial species or conditions where AHA-antibiotic synergy is reliable.