scholarly journals A molecular architectural design that promises potent antimicrobial activity against multidrug-resistant pathogens

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Bing Yuan ◽  
Jiaojiao Liu ◽  
Zhixiong Deng ◽  
Lin Wei ◽  
Wenwen Li ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Architectural Design ◽  
Building Blocks ◽  
Multidrug Resistant ◽  
In Vitro Cytotoxicity ◽  
Antimicrobial Drugs ◽  
Minimal Inhibitory Concentrations ◽  
Antimicrobial Efficiency ◽  
Multidrug Resistant Pathogens

AbstractAddressing the devastating threat of drug-resistant pathogens requires the discovery of new antibiotics with advanced action mechanisms and/or novel strategies for drug design. Herein, from a biophysical perspective, we design a class of synthetic antibacterial complexes with specialized architectures based on melittin (Mel), a natural antimicrobial peptide, and poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG), a clinically available agent, as building blocks that show potent and architecture-modulated antibacterial activity. Among the complexes, the flexibly linear complex consisting of one Mel terminally connected with a long-chained PEG (e.g., PEG12k–1*Mel) shows the most pronounced improvement in performance compared with pristine Mel, with up to 500% improvement in antimicrobial efficiency, excellent in vitro activity against multidrug-resistant pathogens (over a range of minimal inhibitory concentrations of 2–32 µg mL−1), a 68% decrease in in vitro cytotoxicity, and a 57% decrease in in vivo acute toxicity. A lipid-specific mode of action in membrane recognition and an accelerated “channel” effect in perforating the bacterial membrane of the complex are described. Our results introduce a new way to design highly efficient and low-toxicity antimicrobial drugs based on architectural modulations with clinically available agents.

scholarly journals A Potential Combination Therapy of Berberine Hydrochloride With Antibiotics Against Multidrug-Resistant Acinetobacter baumannii

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiaobo Li ◽  
Yanqing Song ◽  
Lina Wang ◽  
Guangbo Kang ◽  
Ping Wang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Acinetobacter Baumannii ◽  
Synergistic Effects ◽  
Multidrug Resistant ◽  
Infection Model ◽  
Berberine Hydrochloride ◽  
Transporter Protein ◽  
Antimicrobial Efficiency ◽  
Global Threat

Multidrug-resistant (MDR) Acinetobacter baumannii strains can cause severe infections in intensive care units, and are rapidly developing resistance to the last-resort of existing antibiotics, posing a major global threat to health care system. Berberine hydrochloride (BBH), a kind of isoquinoline alkaloids extracted from Berberis and other plants, has been widely used as an antibacterial medicine for its reliable therapeutic efficiency. The in vitro synergistic effects of BBH with antibiotics against MDR A. baumannii were determined. BBH alone had weak antimicrobial activity (e.g., MIC≥256 mg/L) against MDR A. baumannii. However, it dramatically increased the susceptibility of MDR strains against antibiotics with FICI values <0.5, even reversed their resistance to antibiotics (e.g., tigecycline, sulbactam, meropenem and ciprofloxacin). In vivo study has suggested BBH with sulbactam had stronger antimicrobial efficiency than monotherapy in a neutropenic murine thigh infection model. The antibiotic-sensitizing mechanism of action of BBH was evaluated as well. BBH boosted adeB gene expression and bound to the AdeB transporter protein, resulting in low uptake of BBH, which may contribute to less extrusion of antibiotics by the AdeABC pump. Knockout of the adeB gene increased uptake of BBH and diminished the antibiotic sensitization and synergistic effects between antibiotics and BBH in MDR strains. Together, BBH effectively re-sensitizes this MDR pathogen to a range of antibiotics that have become barely effective due to antibiotic resistance, which indicates BBH may be a promising therapeutic adjuvant candidate to combat MDR A. baumannii.

scholarly journals In Vitro and In Vivo Antibacterial Activity of Gliotoxin Alone and in Combination with Antibiotics against Staphylococcus aureus

Toxins ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 85
Author(s):  
Patricia Esteban ◽  
Sergio Redrado ◽  
Laura Comas ◽  
M. Pilar Domingo ◽  
M. Isabel Millán-Lou ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Staphylococcus Aureus ◽  
Multidrug Resistant ◽  
New Drugs ◽  
Resistant Bacteria ◽  
Infection Model ◽  
Antimicrobial Drugs ◽  
Hospital Acquired ◽  
Antibiotic Efficacy

Multidrug-resistant bacteria such as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is one of the major causes of hospital-acquired and community infections and pose a challenge to the human health care system. Therefore, it is important to find new drugs that show activity against these bacteria, both in monotherapy and in combination with other antimicrobial drugs. Gliotoxin (GT) is a mycotoxin produced by Aspergillus fumigatus and other fungi of the Aspergillus genus. Some evidence suggests that GT shows antimicrobial activity against S. aureus in vitro, albeit its efficacy against multidrug-resistant strains such as MRSA or vancomycin-intermediate S. aureus (VISA) strainsis not known. This work aimed to evaluate the antibiotic efficacy of GT as monotherapy or in combination with other therapeutics against MRSA in vitro and in vivo using a Caenorhabditis elegans infection model.

Mixed Micelles as Nano Polymer Therapeutics of Docetaxel: Increased In vitro Cytotoxicity and Decreased In vivo Toxicity

2018 ◽  
Vol 15 (4) ◽  
pp. 564-575 ◽  
Author(s):  
Arehalli S. Manjappa ◽  
Popat S. Kumbhar ◽  
Prajakta S. Khopade ◽  
Ajit B. Patil ◽  
John I. Disouza
Keyword(s):  
Mixed Micelles ◽  
In Vitro Cytotoxicity ◽  
Polymer Therapeutics ◽  
In Vivo Toxicity

Mannose Conjugated Starch Nanoparticles for Preferential Targeting of Liver Cancer

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 ◽  
Author(s):  
Akhlesh Kumar Jain ◽  
Hitesh Sahu ◽  
Keerti Mishra ◽  
Suresh Thareja
Keyword(s):  
Side Effects ◽  
Liver Cancer ◽  
Entrapment Efficiency ◽  
Xrd Analysis ◽  
In Vitro Cytotoxicity ◽  
Physical Interaction ◽  
Scanning Calorimetry ◽  
Starch Nanoparticles

Aim: To design D-Mannose conjugated 5-Fluorouracil (5-FU) loaded Jackfruit seed starch nanoparticles (JFSSNPs) for site specific delivery. Background: Liver cancer is the third leading cause of death in world and fifth most often diagnosed cancer is the major global threat to public health. Treatment of liver cancer with conventional method bears several side effects, thus to undertake these side effects as a formulation challenge, it is necessary to develop novel target specific drug delivery system for the effective and better localization of drug into the proximity of target with restricting the movement of drug in normal tissues. Objective: To optimize and characterize the developed D-Mannose conjugated 5-Fluorouracil (5-FU) loaded Jackfruit seed starch nanoparticles (JFSSNPs) for effective treatment of liver cancer. Materials and methods: 5-FU loaded JFSSNPs were prepared and optimized formulation had higher encapsulation efficiency were conjugated with D-Mannose. These formulations were characterized for size, morphology, zeta potential, X-Ray Diffraction, and Differential Scanning Calorimetry. Potential of NPs were studied using in vitro cytotoxicity assay, in vivo kinetic studies and bio-distribution studies. Result and discussion: 5-Fluorouracil loaded NPs had particle size between 336 to 802nm with drug entrapment efficiency was between 64.2 to 82.3%. In XRD analysis, 5-FU peak was diminished in the diffractogram, which could be attributed to the successful incorporation of drug in amorphous form. DSC study suggests there was no physical interaction between 5- FU and Polymer. NPs showed sustained in vitro 5-FU release up to 2 hours. In vivo, mannose conjugated NPs prolonged the plasma level of 5-FU and assist selective accumulation of 5-FU in the liver (vs other organs spleen, kidney, lungs and heart) compared to unconjugated one and plain drug. Conclusion: In vivo, bio-distribution and plasma profile studies resulted in significantly higher concentration of 5- Fluorouracil liver suggesting that these carriers are efficient, viable, and targeted carrier of 5-FU treatment of liver cancer.

Effects of Probiotics in the Management of Infected Chronic Wounds: From Cell Culture to Human Studies

2020 ◽  
Vol 15 (3) ◽  
pp. 193-206
Author(s):  
Brognara Lorenzo ◽  
Salmaso Luca ◽  
Mazzotti Antonio ◽  
Di M. Alberto ◽  
Faldini Cesare ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Chronic Wounds ◽  
Animal Experiments ◽  
Multidrug Resistant ◽  
Preliminary Evidence ◽  
Human Studies ◽  
In Vivo Studies ◽  
Resistant Bacteria ◽  
Keywords Probiotics

Background: Chronic wounds are commonly associated with polymicrobial biofilm infections. In the last years, the extensive use of antibiotics has generated several antibiotic-resistant variants. To overcome this issue, alternative natural treatments have been proposed, including the use of microorganisms like probiotics. The aim of this manuscript was to review current literature concerning the application of probiotics for the treatment of infected chronic wounds. Methods: Relevant articles were searched in the Medline database using PubMed and Scholar, using the keywords “probiotics” and “wound” and “injuries”, “probiotics” and “wound” and “ulcer”, “biofilm” and “probiotics” and “wound”, “biofilm” and “ulcer” and “probiotics”, “biofilm” and “ulcer” and “probiotics”, “probiotics” and “wound”. Results: The research initially included 253 articles. After removal of duplicate studies, and selection according to specific inclusion and exclusion criteria, 19 research articles were included and reviewed, accounting for 12 in vitro, 8 in vivo studies and 2 human studies (three articles dealing with animal experiments included also in vitro testing). Most of the published studies about the effects of probiotics for the treatment of infected chronic wounds reported a partial inhibition of microbial growth, biofilm formation and quorum sensing. Discussion: The application of probiotics represents an intriguing option in the treatment of infected chronic wounds with multidrug-resistant bacteria; however, current results are difficult to compare due to the heterogeneity in methodology, laboratory techniques, and applied clinical protocols. Lactobacillus plantarum currently represents the most studied strain, showing a positive application in burns compared to guideline treatments, and an additional mean in chronic wound infections. Conclusions: Although preliminary evidence supports the use of specific strains of probiotics in certain clinical settings such as infected chronic wounds, large, long-term clinical trials are still lacking, and further research is needed.

Kinase Targets for Mycolic Acid Biosynthesis in Mycobacterium tuberculosis

2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 27-49 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shahinda S.R. Alsayed ◽  
Chau C. Beh ◽  
Neil R. Foster ◽  
Alan D. Payne ◽  
Yu Yu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mycobacterium Tuberculosis ◽  
Enzymatic Activity ◽  
Bacterial Pathogen ◽  
Building Blocks ◽  
Mycolic Acid ◽  
Adaptive Responses ◽  
Mycolic Acids ◽  
Hydroxylated Fatty Acids

Background:Mycolic acids (MAs) are the characteristic, integral building blocks for the mycomembrane belonging to the insidious bacterial pathogen Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M.tb). These C60-C90 long α-alkyl-β-hydroxylated fatty acids provide protection to the tubercle bacilli against the outside threats, thus allowing its survival, virulence and resistance to the current antibacterial agents. In the post-genomic era, progress has been made towards understanding the crucial enzymatic machineries involved in the biosynthesis of MAs in M.tb. However, gaps still remain in the exact role of the phosphorylation and dephosphorylation of regulatory mechanisms within these systems. To date, a total of 11 serine-threonine protein kinases (STPKs) are found in M.tb. Most enzymes implicated in the MAs synthesis were found to be phosphorylated in vitro and/or in vivo. For instance, phosphorylation of KasA, KasB, mtFabH, InhA, MabA, and FadD32 downregulated their enzymatic activity, while phosphorylation of VirS increased its enzymatic activity. These observations suggest that the kinases and phosphatases system could play a role in M.tb adaptive responses and survival mechanisms in the human host. As the mycobacterial STPKs do not share a high sequence homology to the human’s, there have been some early drug discovery efforts towards developing potent and selective inhibitors.Objective:Recent updates to the kinases and phosphatases involved in the regulation of MAs biosynthesis will be presented in this mini-review, including their known small molecule inhibitors.Conclusion:Mycobacterial kinases and phosphatases involved in the MAs regulation may serve as a useful avenue for antitubercular therapy.

scholarly journals Silver Nanoparticles and Their Antibacterial Applications

2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (13) ◽  
pp. 7202
Author(s):  
Tamara Bruna ◽  
Francisca Maldonado-Bravo ◽  
Paul Jara ◽  
Nelson Caro
Keyword(s):  
Silver Nanoparticles ◽  
Antibacterial Agents ◽  
Multidrug Resistant ◽  
Secondary Effects ◽  
Cytotoxic Effects ◽  
Factors Affecting ◽  
Gram Positive Bacteria ◽  
Resistant Strains

Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) have been imposed as an excellent antimicrobial agent being able to combat bacteria in vitro and in vivo causing infections. The antibacterial capacity of AgNPs covers Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria, including multidrug resistant strains. AgNPs exhibit multiple and simultaneous mechanisms of action and in combination with antibacterial agents as organic compounds or antibiotics it has shown synergistic effect against pathogens bacteria such as Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus. The characteristics of silver nanoparticles make them suitable for their application in medical and healthcare products where they may treat infections or prevent them efficiently. With the urgent need for new efficient antibacterial agents, this review aims to establish factors affecting antibacterial and cytotoxic effects of silver nanoparticles, as well as to expose the advantages of using AgNPs as new antibacterial agents in combination with antibiotic, which will reduce the dosage needed and prevent secondary effects associated to both.

scholarly journals Synthesis, Characterization and Evaluation of Peptide Nanostructures for Biomedical Applications

Molecules ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 26 (15) ◽  
pp. 4587
Author(s):  
Fanny d’Orlyé ◽  
Laura Trapiella-Alfonso ◽  
Camille Lescot ◽  
Marie Pinvidic ◽  
Bich-Thuy Doan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Amino Acids ◽  
Biomedical Applications ◽  
Chemical Reactivity ◽  
Physical Stability ◽  
Chemical Properties ◽  
Building Blocks ◽  
Imaging Probes ◽  
Therapeutic Molecules

There is a challenging need for the development of new alternative nanostructures that can allow the coupling and/or encapsulation of therapeutic/diagnostic molecules while reducing their toxicity and improving their circulation and in-vivo targeting. Among the new materials using natural building blocks, peptides have attracted significant interest because of their simple structure, relative chemical and physical stability, diversity of sequences and forms, their easy functionalization with (bio)molecules and the possibility of synthesizing them in large quantities. A number of them have the ability to self-assemble into nanotubes, -spheres, -vesicles or -rods under mild conditions, which opens up new applications in biology and nanomedicine due to their intrinsic biocompatibility and biodegradability as well as their surface chemical reactivity via amino- and carboxyl groups. In order to obtain nanostructures suitable for biomedical applications, the structure, size, shape and surface chemistry of these nanoplatforms must be optimized. These properties depend directly on the nature and sequence of the amino acids that constitute them. It is therefore essential to control the order in which the amino acids are introduced during the synthesis of short peptide chains and to evaluate their in-vitro and in-vivo physico-chemical properties before testing them for biomedical applications. This review therefore focuses on the synthesis, functionalization and characterization of peptide sequences that can self-assemble to form nanostructures. The synthesis in batch or with new continuous flow and microflow techniques will be described and compared in terms of amino acids sequence, purification processes, functionalization or encapsulation of targeting ligands, imaging probes as well as therapeutic molecules. Their chemical and biological characterization will be presented to evaluate their purity, toxicity, biocompatibility and biodistribution, and some therapeutic properties in vitro and in vivo. Finally, their main applications in the biomedical field will be presented so as to highlight their importance and advantages over classical nanostructures.

scholarly journals Assessment of SnFe2O4 Nanoparticles for Potential Application in Theranostics: Synthesis, Characterization, In Vitro, and In Vivo Toxicity

Materials ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (4) ◽  
pp. 825
Author(s):  
Saman Sargazi ◽  
Mohammad Reza Hajinezhad ◽  
Abbas Rahdar ◽  
Muhammad Nadeem Zafar ◽  
Aneesa Awan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Electron Microscopy ◽  
A549 Cells ◽  
In Vitro Cytotoxicity ◽  
Hek293 Cells ◽  
Hydrothermal Route ◽  
X Ray ◽  
Tin Chloride ◽  
Bet Analysis

In this research, tin ferrite (SnFe2O4) NPs were synthesized via hydrothermal route using ferric chloride and tin chloride as precursors and were then characterized in terms of morphology and structure using Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), Ultraviolet–visible spectroscopy (UV-Vis), X-ray power diffraction (XRD), Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) method. The obtained UV-Vis spectra was used to measure band gap energy of as-prepared SnFe2O4 NPs. XRD confirmed the spinel structure of NPs, while SEM and TEM analyses disclosed the size of NPs in the range of 15–50 nm and revealed the spherical shape of NPs. Moreover, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) and BET analysis was carried out to estimate elemental composition and specific surface area, respectively. In vitro cytotoxicity of the synthesized NPs were studied on normal (HUVEC, HEK293) and cancerous (A549) human cell lines. HUVEC cells were resistant to SnFe2O4 NPs; while a significant decrease in the viability of HEK293 cells was observed when treated with higher concentrations of SnFe2O4 NPs. Furthermore, SnFe2O4 NPs induced dramatic cytotoxicity against A549 cells. For in vivo study, rats received SnFe2O4 NPs at dosages of 0, 0.1, 1, and 10 mg/kg. The 10 mg/kg dose increased serum blood urea nitrogen and creatinine compared to the controls (P < 0.05). The pathology showed necrosis in the liver, heart, and lungs, and the greatest damages were related to the kidneys. Overall, the in vivo and in vitro experiments showed that SnFe2O4 NPs at high doses had toxic effects on lung, liver and kidney cells without inducing toxicity to HUVECs. Further studies are warranted to fully elucidate the side effects of SnFe2O4 NPs for their application in theranostics.

scholarly journals 1315. No Dose Adjustment of Metformin with Fostemsavir Coadministration Based on Mechanistic Static and Physiologically Based Pharmacokinetic Models

2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S669-S669
Author(s):  
Dung N Nguyen ◽  
Xiusheng Miao ◽  
Mindy Magee ◽  
Guoying Tai ◽  
Peter D Gorycki ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Dose Adjustment ◽  
Pbpk Model ◽  
Systemic Exposure ◽  
Multidrug Resistant ◽  
Pbpk Modeling ◽  
Repeat Dose ◽  
Physiologically Based Pharmacokinetic ◽  
Physiologically Based

Abstract Background Fostemsavir (FTR) is an oral prodrug of the first-in-class attachment inhibitor temsavir (TMR) which is being evaluated in patients with multidrug resistant HIV-1 infection. In vitro studies indicated that TMR and its 2 major metabolites are inhibitors of organic cation transporters (OCT)1, OCT2, and multidrug and toxin extrusion transporters (MATEs). To assess the clinical relevance, of OCT and MATE inhibition, mechanistic static DDI prediction with calculated Imax,u/IC50 ratios was below the cut-off limits for a DDI flag based on FDA guidelines and above the cut-off limits for MATEs based on EMA guidelines. Methods Metformin is a commonly used probe substrate for OCT1, OCT2 and MATEs. To predict the potential for a drug interaction between TMR and metformin, a physiologically based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) model for TMR was developed based on its physicochemical properties, in vitro and in vivo data. The model was verified and validated through comparison with clinical data. The TMR PBPK model accurately described AUC and Cmax within 30% of the observed data for single and repeat dose studies with or without food. The SimCYP models for metformin and ritonavir were qualified using literature data before applications of DDI prediction for TMR Results TMR was simulated at steady state concentrations after repeated oral doses of FTR 600 mg twice daily which allowed assessment of the potential OCT1, OCT2, and MATEs inhibition by TMR and metabolites. No significant increase in metformin systemic exposure (AUC or Cmax) was predicted with FTR co-administration. In addition, a sensitivity analysis was conducted for either hepatic OCT1 Ki, or renal OCT2 and MATEs Ki values. The model output indicated that, a 10-fold more potent Ki value for TMR would be required to have a ~15% increase in metformin exposure Conclusion Based on mechanistic static models and PBPK modeling and simulation, the OCT1/2 and MATEs inhibition potential of TMR and its metabolites on metformin pharmacokinetics is not clinically significant. No dose adjustment of metformin is necessary when co-administered with FTR Disclosures Xiusheng Miao, PhD, GlaxoSmithKline (Employee) Mindy Magee, Doctor of Pharmacy, GlaxoSmithKline (Employee, Shareholder) Peter D. Gorycki, BEChe, MSc, PhD, GSK (Employee, Shareholder) Katy P. Moore, PharmD, RPh, ViiV Healthcare (Employee)

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document