scholarly journals In vivo Fitness of Acinetobacter baumannii Strains in Murine Infection Is Associated with International Lineage II-rep-2 and International Lineage III Clones Showing High Case Fatality Rates in Human Infections

2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (6) ◽  
pp. 847
Author(s):  
Amir Nutman ◽  
Jonathan Lellouche ◽  
Ziv Lifshitz ◽  
Rivka Glick ◽  
Yehuda Carmeli

We previously reported that the 14-day case fatality rate (CFR) in patients with carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii (CRAB) bacteremia varied between infecting clones. Here, we evaluated the in vitro and in vivo fitness of CRAB blood isolates belonging to clones with low CFR (< 32% 14-day mortality) and high CFR (65% 14-day mortality). Fitness was measured in vitro using a growth curve assay and in vivo using murine thigh muscle and septicemia models of infection. Our sample included 38 CRAB isolates belonging to two clones with low CFR (international lineage (IL)-II-rep-1, n = 13 and IL-79, n = 6) and two clones with high CFR (IL-III, n = 9 and IL-II-rep-2, n = 10). In in vitro growth curves, mean lag time, generation time and maximal growth varied between clones but could not discriminate between the high and low CFR clones. In the in vivo models, bacterial burdens were higher in mice infected with high CFR clones than in those infected with low CFR clones: in thigh muscle, 8.78 ± 0.25 vs. 7.53 ± 0.25 log10CFU/g, p < 0.001; in infected spleen, 5.53 ± 0.38 vs. 3.71 ± 0.35 log10CFU/g, p < 0.001. The thigh muscle and septicemia model results were closely correlated (r = 0.93, p < 0.01). These results suggest that in vivo but not in vitro fitness is associated with high CFR clones.

Viruses ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (10) ◽  
pp. 1116
Author(s):  
Emna Benzarti ◽  
Mutien Garigliany

Usutu virus (USUV), a mosquito-borne zoonotic flavivirus discovered in South Africa in 1959, has spread to many European countries over the last 20 years. The virus is currently a major concern for animal health due to its expanding host range and the growing number of avian mass mortality events. Although human infections with USUV are often asymptomatic, they are occasionally accompanied by neurological complications reminiscent of those due to West Nile virus (another flavivirus closely related to USUV). Whilst USUV actually appears less threatening than some other emergent arboviruses, the lessons learned from Chikungunya, Dengue, and Zika viruses during the past few years should not be ignored. Further, it would not be surprising if, with time, USUV disperses further eastwards towards Asia and possibly westwards to the Americas, which may result in more pathogenic USUV strains to humans and/or animals. These observations, inviting the scientific community to be more vigilant about the spread and genetic evolution of USUV, have prompted the use of experimental systems to understand USUV pathogenesis and to boost the development of vaccines and antivirals. This review is the first to provide comprehensive coverage of existing in vitro and in vivo models for USUV infection and to discuss their contribution in advancing data concerning this neurotropic virus. We believe that this paper is a helpful tool for scientists to identify gaps in the knowledge about USUV and to design their future experiments to study the virus.


2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (8) ◽  
pp. 823
Author(s):  
Tsung-Ying Yang ◽  
Sung-Pin Tseng ◽  
Heather Nokulunga Dlamini ◽  
Po-Liang Lu ◽  
Lin Lin ◽  
...  

The increasing trend of carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii (CRAB) worldwide has become a concern, limiting therapeutic alternatives and increasing morbidity and mortality rates. The immunomodulation agent ammonium trichloro (dioxoethylene-O,O′-) tellurate (AS101) was repurposed as an antimicrobial agent against CRAB. Between 2016 and 2018, 27 CRAB clinical isolates were collected in Taiwan. The in vitro antibacterial activities of AS101 were evaluated using broth microdilution, time-kill assay, reactive oxygen species (ROS) detection and electron microscopy. In vivo effectiveness was assessed using a sepsis mouse infection model. The MIC range of AS101 for 27 CRAB isolates was from 0.5 to 32 µg/mL, which is below its 50% cytotoxicity (approximately 150 µg/mL). Bactericidal activity was confirmed using a time-kill assay. The antibacterial mechanism of AS101 was the accumulation of the ROS and the disruption of the cell membrane, which, in turn, results in cell death. The carbapenemase-producing A. baumannii mouse sepsis model showed that AS101 was a better therapeutic effect than colistin. The mice survival rate after 120 h was 33% (4/12) in the colistin-treated group and 58% (7/12) in the high-dose AS101 (3.33 mg/kg/day) group. Furthermore, high-dose AS101 significantly decreased bacterial population in the liver, kidney and spleen (all p < 0.001). These findings support the concept that AS101 is an ideal candidate for further testing in future studies.


2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (22) ◽  
pp. 12257
Author(s):  
Seok-Hyeon Na ◽  
Hyejin Jeon ◽  
Man-Hwan Oh ◽  
Yoo-Jeong Kim ◽  
Mingi Chu ◽  
...  

The widespread of carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii (CRAB) is of great concern in clinical settings worldwide. It is urgent to develop new therapeutic agents against this pathogen. This study aimed to evaluate the therapeutic potentials of compound 62520, which has been previously identified as an inhibitor of the ompA promoter activity of A. baumannii, against CRAB isolates, both in vitro and in vivo. Compound 62520 was found to inhibit the ompA expression and biofilm formation in A. baumannii ATCC 17978 at sub-inhibitory concentrations in a dose-dependent manner. These inhibitory properties were also observed in clinical CRAB isolates belonging to sequence type (ST) 191. Additionally, compound 62520 exhibited a bacteriostatic activity against clinical clonal complex (CC) 208 CRAB isolates, including ST191, and ESKAPE pathogens. This bacteriostatic activity was not different between STs of CRAB isolates. Bacterial clearance was observed in mice infected with bioimaging A. baumannii strain 24 h after treatment with compound 62520. Compound 62520 was shown to significantly increase the survival rates of both immunocompetent and neutropenic mice infected with A. baumannii ATCC 17978. This compound also increased the survival rates of mice infected with clinical CRAB isolate. These results suggest that compound 62520 is a promising scaffold to develop a novel therapeutic agent against CRAB infections.


Author(s):  
Christian M. Gill ◽  
Adrian Brink ◽  
Chun Yat Chu ◽  
Jennifer Coetzee ◽  
George Dimopoulos ◽  
...  

In vitro MICs and in vivo pharmacodynamics of ceftazidime and cefepime human-simulated regimens (HSR) against mCIM-positive P. aeruginosa harboring different OXA-10-like subtypes were described. The murine thigh model assessed ceftazidime (2g q8h HSR) and cefepime (2g and 1g q8h HSR). Phenotypes were similar despite possessing OXA-10-like subtypes with differing spectra. Ceftazidime produced ≥1-log 10 kill in all isolates. Cefepime activity was dose-dependent and MIC driven. This approach may be useful in assessing implications of β-lactamase variants.


2021 ◽  
Vol Volume 14 ◽  
pp. 4657-4666
Author(s):  
Hui Zhang ◽  
Yunzhu Zhu ◽  
Ning Yang ◽  
Qinxiang Kong ◽  
Yahong Zheng ◽  
...  

2021 ◽  
Vol Volume 14 ◽  
pp. 5679-5680
Author(s):  
Hui Zhang ◽  
Yunzhu Zhu ◽  
Ning Yang ◽  
Qinxiang Kong ◽  
Yahong Zheng ◽  
...  

2007 ◽  
Vol 51 (5) ◽  
pp. 1621-1626 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marc H. Scheetz ◽  
Chao Qi ◽  
John R. Warren ◽  
Michael J. Postelnick ◽  
Teresa Zembower ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT The activities of tigecycline alone and in combination with other antimicrobials are not well defined for carbapenem-intermediate or -resistant Acinetobacter baumannii (CIRA). Pharmacodynamic activity is even less well defined when clinically achievable serum concentrations are considered. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing of clinical CIRA isolates from 2001 to 2005 was performed by broth or agar dilution, as appropriate. Tigecycline concentrations were serially increased in time-kill studies with a representative of the most prevalent carbapenem-resistant clone (strain AA557; imipenem MIC, 64 mg/liter). The in vitro susceptibility of the strain was tested by time-kill studies in duplicate against the average free serum steady-state concentrations of tigecycline alone and in combination with various antimicrobials. Ninety-three CIRA isolates were tested and were found to have the following antimicrobial susceptibility profiles: tigecycline, MIC50 of 1 mg/liter and MIC90 of 2 mg/liter; minocycline, MIC50 of 0.5 mg/liter and MIC90 of 8 mg/liter; doxycycline, MIC50 of 2 mg/liter and MIC90 of ≥32 mg/liter; ampicillin-sulbactam, MIC50 of 48 mg/liter and MIC90 of 96 mg/liter; ciprofloxacin, MIC50 of ≥16 mg/liter and MIC90 of ≥16 mg/liter; rifampin, MIC50 of 4 mg/liter and MIC90 of 8 mg/liter; polymyxin B, MIC50 of 1 mg/liter and MIC90 of 1 mg/liter; amikacin, MIC50 of 32 mg/liter and MIC90 of ≥32 mg/liter; meropenem, MIC50 of 16 mg/liter and MIC90 of ≥128 mg/liter; and imipenem, MIC50 of 4 mg/liter and MIC90 of 64 mg/liter. Among the tetracyclines, the isolates were more susceptible to tigecycline than minocycline and doxycycline, according to FDA breakpoints (95%, 88%, and 71% of the isolates were susceptible to tigecycline, minocycline, and doxycycline, respectively). Concentration escalation studies with tigecycline revealed a maximal killing effect near the MIC, with no additional extent or rate of killing at concentrations 2× to 4× the MIC for tigecycline. Time-kill studies demonstrated indifference for tigecycline in combination with the antimicrobials tested. Polymyxin B, minocycline, and tigecycline are the most active antimicrobials in vitro against CIRA. Concentration escalation studies demonstrate that tigecycline may need to approach concentrations higher than those currently achieved in the bloodstream to adequately treat CIRA bloodstream infections. Future studies should evaluate these findings in vivo.


1997 ◽  
Vol 41 (2) ◽  
pp. 345-351 ◽  
Author(s):  
M L Joly-Guillou ◽  
M Wolff ◽  
J J Pocidalo ◽  
F Walker ◽  
C Carbon

Acinetobacter baumannii is responsible for severe nosocomial pneumonia. To evaluate new therapeutic regimens for infections due to multiresistant strains and to study the pharmacodynamic properties of various antibiotics, we developed an experimental mouse model of acute A. baumannii pneumonia. C3H/HeN mice rendered transiently neutropenic were infected intratracheally with 5 x 10(6) CFU of A. baumannii. The mean log10 CFU/g of lung homogenate (+/- the standard deviation) were 9 +/- 0.9, 9.4 +/- 0.8, 8.6 +/- 1.2, and 7.7 +/- 1.4 on days 1, 2, 3, and 4 postinoculation. The lung pathology was characterized by pneumonitis with edema and a patchy distribution of hemorrhages in the peribronchovascular spaces of both lungs. Abscesses formed on days 3 and 4. Four days after inoculation, subacute pneumonitis characterized by alveolar macrophage proliferation and areas of fibrosis was observed. The cumulative mortality on day 4 was 85%. This new model was used to study the effects of 1, 2, or 3 50-mg/kg doses of imipenem. Imipenem concentrations in lungs were above the MIC for 2 h after the last dose. The in vivo postantibiotic effect (PAE) was determined during the 9-h period following the last dose; it decreased in duration with the number of doses: 9.6, 6.4, and 4 h after 1, 2, and 3 50-mg/kg doses, respectively. In contrast, no in vitro PAE was observed. This model offers a reproducible acute course of A. baumannii pneumonia. The presence of a prolonged in vivo PAE supports the currently recommended dosing intervals of imipenem for the treatment of human infections due to A. baumannii, i.e., 15 mg/kg three times a day.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ram Maharjan ◽  
Geraldine Sulivan ◽  
Felise Adams ◽  
Natasha Delgado ◽  
Lucie Semenec ◽  
...  

Abstract Bacterial coordination of stress resistance mechanisms in harsh environments is key to long-term survival and evolutionary success. In many Gram-negative pathogens, both general- and specific-stress response are controlled by alternative sigma factors such as RpoS. The critically important pathogen Acinetobacter baumannii is notoriously recalcitrant to external stressors, yet it lacks RpoS, so the molecular control of its resilience remains unclear. Here, we used transposon insertion sequencing to characterize the molecular responses of Acinetobacter baumannii to two biologically-important metals stressors, zinc and copper, and discovered that the transcriptional regulator DksA acts as a major regulatory stress-protection switch. We mapped the highly pleiotropic nature of DksA using transcriptomics and phenomics and found that it controls ribosomal protein expression, metabolism of gluconeogenic substrates and survival in stresses that cause oxidative damage. A. baumannii strains lacking DksA were no longer virulent in both murine and Galleria mellonella in vivo models. In vitro, DksA mutants exhibited increased sensitivity to human serum and antibiotics yet promoted biofilm and capsule formation. Our study provides detailed insight into the unique role that DksA plays in stress protection and virulence for A. baumannii and lays the groundwork for understanding of RpoS-independent regulatory general stress response.


Pathogens ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 387
Author(s):  
Meysam Sarshar ◽  
Payam Behzadi ◽  
Daniela Scribano ◽  
Anna Teresa Palamara ◽  
Cecilia Ambrosi

Acinetobacter baumannii is regarded as a life-threatening pathogen associated with community-acquired and nosocomial infections, mainly pneumonia. The rise in the number of A. baumannii antibiotic-resistant strains reduces effective therapies and increases mortality. Bacterial comparative genomic studies have unraveled the innate and acquired virulence factors of A. baumannii. These virulence factors are involved in antibiotic resistance, environmental persistence, host-pathogen interactions, and immune evasion. Studies on host–pathogen interactions revealed that A. baumannii evolved different mechanisms to adhere to in order to invade host respiratory cells as well as evade the host immune system. In this review, we discuss current data on A. baumannii genetic features and virulence factors. An emphasis is given to the players in host–pathogen interaction in the respiratory tract. In addition, we report recent investigations into host defense systems using in vitro and in vivo models, providing new insights into the innate immune response to A. baumannii infections. Increasing our knowledge of A. baumannii pathogenesis may help the development of novel therapeutic strategies based on anti-adhesive, anti-virulence, and anti-cell to cell signaling pathways drugs.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document