Influence of beta-lactam antibiotics and ciprofloxacin on composition and immunogenicity of Escherichia coli outer membrane

Effect of sub-MIC antibiotics on the cell surface and extracellular virulence determinants of Pseudomonas cepacia

The effects of sub-MICs of ciprofloxacin and tobramycin on the cell surface characteristics and extracellular virulence factors of Pseudomonas cepacia were evaluated. Cells were grown in batch culture under iron-deficient and iron-replete conditions. At sub-MIC levels that did not affect bacterial growth cell surface hydrophobicity decreased under both iron-replete and iron-depleted conditions with ciprofloxacin, but increased with tobramycin under iron-sufficient conditions. Exopolysaccharide synthesis, lipase production and siderophore production were all significantly increased by the presence of ciprofloxacin under both growth conditions. Outer membrane protein and lipopolysaccharide profiles were not affected by exposure to the two antibiotics.

Tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) production in mice immunized with Escherichia coli: correlation with mortality after lethal challenge and production of a native inhibitor of TNF-alpha activity

The kinetics of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) production, the correlation between cytokine levels and mortality rates after lethal challenge, and the production of a native inhibitor of TNF-alpha activity was investigated in mice immunized with formalin-killed Escherichia coli. Groups of mice were injected for 8 weeks with either untreated bacteria or bacteria treated with 0.5 MIC of aztreonam and subsequently challenged with 100 50% lethal doses of viable E. coli. Mice receiving saline only (controls) died within 24 h. The mortality of mice immunized with aztreonam-treated E. coli was significantly lower than that of mice immunized with untreated E. coli. There were no measurable levels of TNF-alpha in sera obtained from control mice during the entire period of immunization. TNF-alpha levels ranging from 90 to 306 U/ml were measured 90 min after each vaccination in sera obtained from mice immunized with untreated E. coli. Sera from mice immunized with antibiotic-treated E. coli showed lower TNF-alpha levels, ranging from 40 to 128 U/ml. TNF-alpha levels measured 90 min after lethal challenge correlated with the mortality rate observed in each group (r = 0.95). The cytotoxic activity of recombinant murine TNF-alpha was inhibited by the sera from immunized mice but not by the sera from controls. The inhibition was drastically reduced by preincubation of the sera with staphylococcal protein A. In immunoblot experiments, class G immunoglobulins reacting with recombinant murine TNF-alpha were observed in the sera of immunized mice. These data confirm the correlation existing between TNF-alpha levels and mortality and suggest that native inhibitors may play a role in the regulation of the biological function of the cytokine.

Effects of sub-MICs of antibiotics on cell surface characteristics and virulence of Pasteurella multocida

The effects of sub-MICs of certain antibiotics, namely, penicillin G, tetracycline, and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole, on the cell surface characteristics and the virulences of two toxigenic isolates of Pasteurella multocida representing capsular types A and D were evaluated. Expression of proteins, in particular, outer membrane proteins and iron-regulated proteins, was not affected by exposure of bacterial cells to low concentrations of antibiotics. However, exposition of surface antigens was modified by sub-MICs of the antibiotics tested. The lipopolysaccharide profile of one isolate (capsular type D) was altered by penicillin G. Sub-MICs of penicillin G and tetracycline diminished the virulence of the capsular type A isolate and adherence to porcine tracheal rings of the capsular type D isolate. Production of dermonecrotic toxin was not affected by sub-MICs of the antibiotics tested. Our results indicate that growth of P. multocida in the presence of low concentrations of antibiotics seems to have, depending on the isolate, profound effects on cell surface characteristics, with concomitant effects on adherence or virulence. Our results also indicate that production of dermonecrotic toxin, an important virulence factor of P. multocida isolates associated with porcine atrophic rhinitis, was not affected by sub-MICs of the antibiotics studied.

Mechanisms of interaction among subinhibitory concentrations of antibiotics, human polymorphonuclear neutrophils, and gram-negative bacilli

Our hypothesis was that pretreatment of bacteria with subinhibitory concentrations (sub-MICs) of antibiotics enhances the susceptibility of the organisms to killing by human polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMNs). Our purpose was to study a variety of drugs with different mechanisms of action and to determine whether the mechanism and locus of action altered the sub-MIC effect. The following outcome measures were used: ingestion and killing of bacteria by PMNs, bacterial killing in the absence of phagosome formation, and binding requirements of the bacteria to PMNs. The antibiotics used were representative of a variety of classes, including beta-lactams (piperacillin and imipenem) and quinolones (ciprofloxacin). Bacterial uptake and killing were measured by using standard techniques, and results were analyzed by using the analysis-of-variance technique and Dunnett's t test. Pretreatment of Escherichia coli with all drugs showed significantly enhanced killing of bacteria by PMNs, which was independent of ingestion by the phagocytes. Even in the absence of phagosome formation, statistically significant killing persisted with piperacillin-pretreated bacteria but not with imipenem- or ciprofloxacin-pretreated organisms. The opsonization experiments showed that contact between bacteria and PMNs was necessary for killing to occur. The sub-MIC effect appears to be independent of the locus or mechanism of action of the antibiotic. It results in enhanced killing by PMNs which is independent of ingestion and also may persist even in the absence of phagosome formation. Killing is dependent upon specific contact between bacteria and an intact phagocyte.

Influence of beta-lactam antibiotics on serum resistance of K1-positive blood culture isolates of Escherichia coli

The K1-positive strains of Escherichia coli are a group with considerable clinical importance, serum resistance being a common virulence factor of these strains. In the present paper, the influences of cephaloridine, imipenem, and ceftazidime on the serum resistance of eight serum-resistant K1-positive E. coli blood culture isolates with smooth-type lipopolysaccharide were studied. All strains were rendered more serum sensitive by treatment with subinhibitory concentrations of antibiotics. The amount of the reduction of serum resistance was dependent on the concentration of the antibiotic. Amounts of K1 produced under the influence of the antibiotics were measured and were found to be reduced for almost all strains tested. To further test the hypothesis that antibiotic-induced reduction of serum resistance is mediated by inhibition of K1 expression, isogenic mutants of one strain were produced by selection for resistance against infection with K1-specific bacteriophages. These mutants were found to be highly serum sensitive. We conclude from this study that beta-lactam antibiotics can render K1-positive serum-resistant strains of E. coli highly serum sensitive and that this effect is mediated by inhibition of K1 expression.

Role of the cell envelope in bacterial adaptation to growth in vivo in infections

To establish an infection, a pathogenic bacterium must adapt to growth in the hostile environment encountered in vivo in host tissues. The cell envelope plays a crucial role in this adaptive process, since it is involved in promoting adhesion to and colonisation of host tissues, in the acquisition of essential nutrients and in conferring resistance to host defences and to antibiotics. Its properties are ultimately determined by the information stored within the genome, which also contains the potential to respond to environmental change. The macromolecular structure and function of the cell envelope are largely determined by the growth environment and, in particular, specific nutrient limitation, growth rate, growth temperature and replication in suspension or within a surface-associated biofilm. Bacteria growing in vivo will manufacture envelopes characteristic of that environment and which will differ markedly in physiology, biochemistry and immunogenicity from those of cells grown in a standard laboratory medium. In vivo, the ability to withhold iron is an important component of the host's defence and iron deprivation has a pronounced effect on the metabolism and cell envelope properties of pathogenic bacteria. The phenotypic plasticity of the bacterial cell surface plays an important role in determining susceptibility to host defences and antibiotics and has important implications for the design and evaluation of new therapeutic strategies for the treatment and prevention of bacterial infections.

Interaction of Escherichia coli and macrophages: alteration by treatment of bacteria with beta-lactam antibiotics

Antibiotics are known to exert an influence on the host-parasite relationship either by impairment of immunocompetent cells or by alteration of the bacterium, such as changes of surface properties or the production of toxins. The main problem in investigating the effect of antibiotics on the surface properties of bacteria consists in morphological changes of bacteria (round cell or filament formation) after treatment e.g. with beta-lactam antibiotics. These changes of morphology lead to problems in the comparison of such bacterial forms with untreated organisms. Therefore, in this study outer membrane vesicles from bacteria were used as a model to investigate the effect of antibiotics on the surface properties of Escherichia coli with regard to the interaction with mouse peritoneal macrophages tested by chemiluminescence reaction. It could be shown that these membrane vesicles induce a luminol dependent chemiluminescence response. Treatment of E. coli with different beta-lactams lead to an increase of the stimulating properties. The relative effectiveness of certain antibiotics depended on the particular E. coli strain. Analysis of the different adhesions involved in the stimulation of macrophages revealed that only mannose-sensitive adhesins were increased after treatment with beta-lactam antibiotics. No stimulation of the membrane-bound NAD(P)H-oxidase could be found following the reaction with outer membrane vesicles. Even the treatment of bacteria with antibiotics did not evoke such a reaction.

Influence of beta-lactam antibiotics and ciprofloxacin on cell envelope of Escherichia coli

The effects of subinhibitory concentrations of different beta-lactam antibiotics and one quinolone on the quantitative composition of the outer membrane (OM) of two strains of Escherichia coli, on lipid translocation into the OM, and on the production of capsular K1 polysaccharide were studied. The phospholipid/amino acid ratio was reduced in almost all OM preparations from antibiotic-treated bacteria. In one strain, antibiotic treatment increased the lipopolysaccharide/amino acid ratio. The amount of peptidoglycan fragments bound to the OM was increased by all the antibiotics. In pulse-chase experiments with a radioactive lipid precursor, ciprofloxacin, imipenem, and aztreonam inhibited phospholipid translocation into the OM. Furthermore, imipenem, cephaloridine, and ciprofloxacin induced a pronounced reduction of the production of capsular K1 polysaccharide. Thus, antibiotics seem to induce marked changes of the quantitative composition of the cell envelope of E. coli. Possible connections of these data with findings on the influence of antibiotics on functional parameters of the host-parasite relationship such as OM immunogenicity and serum resistance are discussed.