HORMONES CAN INFLUENCE ANTIBIOTIC SUSCEPTIBILITIES EVEN IN MONO- AND CO-CULTURE CONDITIONS

Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus are known as important nosocomial infectious agents also their co-infections are commonly seen in some patient groups. It is well known that host factors such as hormones have roles in modulation of growth, pathogenesis and susceptibilities to antimicrobials. In our study, the influences of norepinephrine (NE) and melatonin (MEL) on antibiotic susceptibilities were examined in mono and co-culture conditions. Methicilin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) ATCC 43300 and Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 27853 were investigated to determine the minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentrations (MBC) of ciprofloxacin and gentamicin in the absence/presence of NE (0.0017 and 0.04μg/mL) and MEL (6 and 60 pg/mL) by microdilution method in mono and co-culture. It was found that hormones decreased (among 2-64 fold) MIC and MBC values of both antibiotics for MRSA. However, it was shown that hormones had no effect on MIC values of both antibiotics for P. aeruginosa. MIC and MBC values of both antibiotics for co-culture were found to be reduced compared to monoculture of MRSA; were found to be increased compared to monoculture of P. aeruginosa. Whereas, hormones decreased MIC values of both antibiotics in co-culture conditions. Our results suggest that both hormones decreased MIC values and it seems that hormones could influence antibiotic susceptibilities in a strain-dependent manner.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/abmj-2021-0012