Journal
MOLECULAR MEDICINE REPORTS
Volume 19, Issue 4, Pages 3337-3344Publisher
SPANDIDOS PUBL LTD
DOI: 10.3892/mmr.2019.9988
Keywords
methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus; antimicrobial peptide; L12; resistance; synergistic effect
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Funding
- Nature Science Foundation of Beijing, China [7152132]
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Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus; MRSA) is one of the most common bacterial pathogens and MRSA infections are characterized by high mortality rates. Antimicrobial peptides are considered one of the most promising drugs for the treatment of resistant strains of S. aureus. The present study aimed to examine the antimicrobial activity of L12 against numerous bacterial species using the broth microdilution method. Furthermore, the synergistic effect of L12 combined with various antibacterial drugs was tested, and its antibacterial mechanism was investigated by a checkerboard assay. The alterations in bacterial morphology were detected by electron microscopy, and biofilm formation and removal were tested by crystal violet staining. The present results suggested that L12 affected the growth of gram-positive strains, particularly S. aureus. Electron microscopy analysis suggested that L12 may target the cell membrane, and L12 increased the antibacterial activity of vancomycin and levofloxacin, exerting a synergistic effect. However, the minimal inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of L12 were not correlated with antibiotic resistance, the strains resistant to more antibiotics were not more resistant to L12. A sub-MIC of L12 was able to inhibit biofilm formation in a dose-dependent manner; however, concentrations of L12 10 times the MIC were not sufficient to degrade previously formed biofilm. Collectively, the present study suggested that L12 may represent a novel potential therapeutic molecule for the treatment of S. aureus infections.
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