Susceptibility of Pseudomonas aeruginosa Urinary Tract Isolates and Influence of Urinary Tract Conditions on Antibiotic Tolerance

Pseudomonas aeruginosa is an opportunistic human pathogen, which can cause severe urinary tract infections (UTIs). Because of the high intrinsic antibiotic resistance of P. aeruginosa and its ability to develop new resistances during antibiotic treatment, these infections are difficult to eradicate. The antibiotic susceptibility of 32 P. aeruginosa isolates from acute and chronic UTIs were analysed under standardized conditions showing 19% multi-drug resistant strains. Furthermore, the antibiotic tolerance of two P. aeruginosa strains to ciprofloxacin and tobramycin was analysed under urinary tract-relevant conditions which considered nutrient composition, biofilm growth, growth phase, and oxygen concentration. These conditions significantly enhance the antibiotic tolerance of P. aeruginosa up to 6000-fold indicating an adaptation of the bacterium to the specific conditions present in the urinary tract. This reversible phenomenon is possibly due to the increased formation of persister cells and is based on iron limitation in artificial urine. The results suggest that the general high antibiotic resistance of P. aeruginosa urinary tract isolates together with the increasing tolerance of P. aeruginosa grown under urinary tract conditions decrease the efficiency of antibiotic treatment of UTIs.