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Synergistic antibacterial and anti-biofilm activities of resveratrol and polymyxin B against multidrug-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa

The Journal of Antibiotics volume 75, pages 567–575 (2022)Cite this article

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Abstract

Bacterial infection caused by multidrug-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa has become a challenge in clinical practice. Polymyxins are used as the last resort agent for otherwise untreatable Gram-negative bacteria, including multidrug-resistant P.aeruginosa. However, pharmacodynamic (PD) and pharmacokinetic (PK) data on polymyxins suggest that polymyxin monotherapy is unlikely to generate reliably efficacious plasma concentrations. Also, polymyxin resistance has been frequently reported, especially among multidrug-resistant P.aeruginosa, which further limits its clinical use. A strategy for improving the antibacterial activity of polymyxins and preventing the development of polymyxin resistance is to use polymyxins in combination with other agents. In this study, we have demonstrated that resveratrol, a well tolerated compound, has synergistic effects when tested in vitro with polymyxin B on antibacterial and anti-biofilm activities. However, its’ systemic use is limited as the required high plasma levels of resveratrol are not achievable. This suggests that it could be a partner for the combination therapy of polymyxin B in the treatment of topical bacterial infection caused by MDR P.aeruginosa.

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Acknowledgements

We are grateful to the Shiyan Renmin Hospital of Hubei University of Medicine and the Jinzhou Medical University.

Funding

This work was supported by the Science Foundation of Hubei Health Commission in Hubei province (Grant No: WJ2021F040).

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Author notes

  1. These authors contributed equally: Lin Qi, Rongxin Liang

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Clinical Laboratory, Jinzhou Medical University Graduate Training Base, Renmin Hospital, Hubei University of Medicine, Shiyan, Hubei, 442000, P. R. China

    Lin Qi & Lian Li

  2. Department of Clinical Laboratory, Renmin Hospital, Hubei University of Medicine, Shiyan, Hubei, 442000, P. R. China

    Rongxin Liang, Jingjing Duan, Yunjun Pan, Hui Liu, Mingan Zhu & Lian Li

  3. Jinzhou Medical University, Jinzhou, Liaoning, 121001, P. R. China

    Songze Song

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Contributions

LL, JJ, LQ, and RX designed the study. LQ was in charge of this study and performed the majority of those experiments. RX drafted the manuscript and revised it critically for important intellectual content. SZ, HL, YJ and MA participated in the collection and identification of MDR P.aeruginosa isolates and the genetic analysis.

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Correspondence to Lian Li.

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Qi, L., Liang, R., Duan, J. et al. Synergistic antibacterial and anti-biofilm activities of resveratrol and polymyxin B against multidrug-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa. J Antibiot 75, 567–575 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41429-022-00555-1

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