Synergistic Antimicrobial Effect of Colistin in Combination with Econazole against Multidrug-Resistant Acinetobacter baumannii and Its Persisters.

ABSTRACT: Colistin is a last-line antibiotic which acts by causing membrane permeabilization in Gram-negative bacteria. However, its clinical value has been limited by its toxicity and the emergence of resistant organisms. In this study, we showed that econazole and colistin can act synergistically to produce a strong antimicrobial effect sufficient for eradication of starvation-induced tolerant and multidrug-resistant populations of Acinetobacter baumannii, a notorious pathogen causing recalcitrant infections, both in vitro and in mouse infection models. Investigation of the underlying mechanism showed that, while colistin disrupts the membrane structure, econazole causes the dissipation of proton motive force, eliciting a vicious cycle of membrane structural damages and disruption of membra

SUBMITTER: Xie M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9241926 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature