BisEDT and RIP act in synergy to prevent graft infections by resistant staphylococci

• Published in: Peptides (New York, N.Y. : 1980) Vol. 25; no. 12; pp. 2047 - 2053
• Main Authors: Domenico, Philip, Gurzenda, Ellen, Giacometti, Andrea, Cirioni, Oscar, Ghiselli, Roberto, Orlando, Fiorenza, Korem, Moshe, Saba, Vittorio, Scalise, Giorgio, Balaban, Naomi
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York, NY Elsevier Inc 01-12-2004; Elsevier Science
• Subjects: Animals; Antibacterial agents; Antibiotics. Antiinfectious agents. Antiparasitic agents; Antimicrobial peptides; Biofilms; Biofilms - drug effects; Biological and medical sciences; Bismuth thiols; Drug Resistance, Bacterial; Drug Synergism; Implants, Experimental - adverse effects; Male; Medical sciences; Mercaptoethanol - analogs & derivatives; Mercaptoethanol - therapeutic use; Models, Biological; Oligopeptides - therapeutic use; Pharmacology. Drug treatments; Polyethylene Terephthalates; Rats; Rats, Wistar; Rifampin - therapeutic use; RNAIII inhibiting peptide; Staphylococcal Infections - drug therapy; Staphylococcal Infections - prevention & control; Staphylococci; Staphylococcus aureus; Staphylococcus aureus - drug effects; Staphylococcus epidermidis; Staphylococcus epidermidis - drug effects; Staphylococci; RNAIII inhibiting peptide; Bismuth thiols; Biofilms; Antimicrobial peptides; Peptides; Rat; Rodentia; Antimicrobial agent; Infection; Prevention; Vertebrata; Mammalia; Staphylococcus epidermidis; Animal; Antibiotic resistance; Biofilm; Bacteria; Micrococcales; Graft; Micrococcaceae; Staphylococcus aureus
• ISSN: 0196-9781; 1873-5169
• DOI: 10.1016/j.peptides.2004.08.005

Staphylococci are a major cause of infections associated with indwelling medical devices. Biofilm formation on these devices adds to the antibiotic resistance seen among clinical isolates. RNAIII-inhibiting peptide (RIP) is a heptapeptide that inhibits staphylococcal pathogenesis, including biofilm formation, by obstructing quorum sensing mechanisms. Bismuth ethanedithiol (BisEDT) also prevents biofilm formation at subinhibitory concentrations. RIP and BisEDT were combined to prevent infections in a rat graft model, using antibiotic sensitive and resistant strains of
Staphylococcus aureus and
Staphylococcus epidermidis. BisEDT, RIP, or rifampin, or their combinations reduced the graft associated bacterial load over seven days. BisEDT–RIP was the best combination, reducing bacterial load to undetectable levels. BisEDT–RIP may prove useful for coating medical devices to prevent staphylococcal infections.