Effect of permeabilizers on antibiotic sensitivity of Pseudomonas aeruginosa

Ayres HM; Furr JR; Russell
Welsh School of Pharmacy, Cardiff University, UK.
Lett Appl Microbiol 1999 Jan;28(1):13-6CITATION IDS: PMID: 10030025 UI: 99154293

ABSTRACT: Agents which had previously been shown to act as permeabilizers against Pseudomonas aeruginosa or other Gram-negative bacteria were tested to determine whether susceptibility to various antibiotics could be increased. In the absence of a permeabilizer, Ps. aeruginosa was resistant to several hydrophobic antibiotics and vancomycin, but not to gentamicin. Tartaric and gluconic acids had weak potentiating activity, whereas ethylenediamine tetraacetic acid and citric acid were more effective permeabilizers. However, sodium polyphosphate enhanced the activity of erythromycin, fucidin, novobiocin, rifampicin and methicillin; vancomycin was unaffected and the activity of gentamicin was reduced considerably.