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Over 30 compounds, including para -, meta -, and ortho -phenylenediboronic acids, ortho -substituted phenylboronic acids, benzenetriboronic acids, di- and triboronated thiophenes, and pyridine derivatives were investigated as potential β-lactamase inhibitors. The highest activity against KPC-type carbapenemases was found for ortho -phenylenediboronic acid 3a , which at the concentration of 8/4 mg/L reduced carbapenems' MICs up to 16/8-fold, respectively. Checkerboard assays revealed strong synergy between carbapenems and 3a with the fractional inhibitory concentrations indices of 0.1-0.32. The nitrocefin hydrolysis test and the whole cell assay with E. coli DH5α transformant carrying bla KPC-3 proved KPC enzyme being its molecular target. para -Phenylenediboronic acids efficiently potentiated carbapenems against KPC-producers and ceftazidime against AmpC-producers, whereas meta -phenylenediboronic acids enhanced only ceftazidime activity against the latter ones. Finally, the statistical analysis confirmed that ortho -phenylenediboronic acids act synergistically with carbapenems significantly stronger than other groups. Since the obtained phenylenediboronic compounds are not toxic to MRC-5 human fibroblasts at the tested concentrations, they can be considered promising scaffolds for the future development of novel KPC/AmpC inhibitors. The complexation of KPC-2 with the most representative isomeric phenylenediboronic acids 1a , 2a , and 3a was modeled by quantum mechanics/molecular mechanics calculations. Compound 3a reached the most effective configuration enabling covalent binding to the catalytic Ser70 residue.

The efflux pumps, beside the class D carbapenem-hydrolysing enzymes (CHLDs), are being increasingly investigated as a mechanism of carbapenem resistance in Acinetobacter baumannii . This study investigates the contribution of efflux mechanism to carbapenem resistance in 61 acquired bla CHDL -genes-carrying A. baumannii clinical strains isolated in Warsaw, Poland. Studies were conducted using phenotypic (susceptibility testing to carbapenems ± efflux pump inhibitors (EPIs)) and molecular (determining expression levels of efflux operon with regulatory-gene and whole genome sequencing (WGS)) methods. EPIs reduced carbapenem resistance of 14/61 isolates. Upregulation (5-67-fold) of adeB was observed together with mutations in the sequences of AdeRS local and of BaeS global regulators in all 15 selected isolates. Long-read WGS of isolate no. AB96 revealed the presence of AbaR25 resistance island and its two disrupted elements: the first contained a duplicate IS Aba1-bla OXA-23 , and the second was located between adeR and adeA in the efflux operon. This insert was flanked by two copies of IS Aba1 , and one of them provides a strong promoter for adeABC , elevating the adeB expression levels. Our study for the first time reports the involvement of the insertion of the ΔAbaR25-type resistance island fragment with IS Aba1 element upstream the efflux operon in the carbapenem resistance of A. baumannii .

The analysis of antimicrobial activity is usually MIC- and minimal bactericidal concentration (MBC)-focused, though also crucial are resistance-related parameters, e.g., the frequency of spontaneous mutant selection (FSMS), the mutant prevention concentration (MPC), and the mutant selection window (MSW). In vitro -determined MPCs, however, are sometimes variable, poorly repeatable, and not always reproducible in vivo . We propose a new approach to the in vitro determination of MSWs, along with novel parameters: MPC-D, MSW-D (for dominant mutants, i.e., selected with a high frequency, without a fitness loss), and MPC-F, MSW-F (for inferior mutants, i.e., with an impaired fitness). We also propose a new method for preparing the high-density inoculum (>10 11 CFU/mL). In this study, the MPC and MPC-D (limited by FSMS of <10 -10 ) of ciprofloxacin, linezolid, and novel benzosiloxaborole (No37) were determined for Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 29213 using the standard agar method, while the MPC-D and MPC-F were determined by the novel broth method. Regardless of the method, MSWs 10 10 of linezolid and No37 were the same. However, MSWs 10 10 of ciprofloxacin in the broth method was narrower than in the agar method. In the broth method, the 24-h incubation of ~10 10 CFU in a drug-containing broth differentiates the mutants that can dominate the cell population from those that can only be selected under exposure. We consider MPC-Ds in the agar method to be less variable and more repeatable than MPCs. Meanwhile, the broth method may decrease discrepancies between in vitro and in vivo MSWs. The proposed approaches may help establish MPC-D-related resistance-restricting therapies., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest.

A series of 22 benzosiloxaboroles, silicon analogues of strong antimicrobial agents - benzoxaboroles, have been synthesized and tested against β-lactamases KPC- and pAmpC-producing strains of Gram-negative rods. Comprehensive structural-property relationship studies supported by molecular modelling as well as biological studies reveal that 6-B(OH) 2 -substituted derivative 27 strongly inhibits the activity of cephalosporinases (chromosomally encoded AmpC and plasmid encoded CMY-2) and KPC carbapenemases. It also shows strong ability to inhibit growth of the strains producing KPC-3 when combined with meropenem. In addition, halogen-substituted (mono-, di- or tetra-) benzosiloxaboroles demonstrate high antifungal activity (MIC 1.56-6.25 mg/L) against C. tropicalis, C. guilliermondii and S. cerevisiae. The highest activity against pathogenic yeasts (C. albicans, C. krusei and C. parapsilosis - MICs 12.5 mg/L) and against Gram-positive cocci (S. aureus and E. faecalis - 6.25 mg/L and 25 mg/L respectively) was displayed by 6,7-dichloro-substituted benzosiloxaborole. The studied systems exhibit low cytotoxity toward human lung fibroblasts., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.)

The potential role of non-antibiotic medicinal products in the treatment of multidrug-resistant Gram-negative bacteria has recently been investigated. It is highly likely that the presence of efflux pumps may be one of the reasons for the weak activity of non-antibiotics, as in the case of some non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), against Gram-negative rods. The activity of eight drugs of potential non-antibiotic activity, active substance standards, and relevant medicinal products were analysed with and without of efflux pump inhibitors against 180 strains of five Gram-negative rod species by minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) value determination in the presence of 1 mM MgSO₄. Furthermore, the influence of non-antibiotics on the susceptibility of clinical strains to quinolones with or without PAβN (Phe-Arg-β-naphthylamide) was investigated. The impacts of PAβN on the susceptibility of bacteria to non-antibiotics suggests that amitriptyline, alendronate, nicergoline, and ticlopidine are substrates of efflux pumps in Gram-negative rods. Amitriptyline/Amitriptylinum showed the highest direct antibacterial activity, with MICs ranging 100-800 mg/L against all studied species. Significant decreases in the MIC values of other active substances (acyclovir, atorvastatin, and famotidine) tested with pump inhibitors were not observed. The investigated non-antibiotic medicinal products did not alter the MICs of quinolones in the absence and in the presence of PAβN to the studied clinical strains of five groups of species.

Chemical composition and antibacterial activity of aqueous (ethanolic and methanolic) extracts from herbs often used in Polish cuisine and traditional herbal medicine including thyme (Thymus vulgaris L.), rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis L.), oregano (Origanum vulgare L.), peppermint (Mentha piperita L.) and sage (Salvia officinalis L.) were compared. The aqueous ethanolic extracts contained slightly higher levels of phenolics compared to the aqueous methanolic extracts. In turn, GC-MS analysis showed that the aqueous methanolic extracts of thyme, rosemary and sage contained several additional compounds such as eugenol or ledol. The present studies also indicated that the bacterial species applied in the experiment exhibited different sensitivities towards tested extracts. Staphylococcus aureus strains were found to be the most sensitive bacteria to aqueous (ethanolic and methanolic) rosemary and sage extracts and aqueous methanolic thyme extract. Klebsiella pneumoniae ATCC 13883 and Proteus vulgaris NCTC 4635 were more susceptible to the aqueous methanolic thyme extract. However, Listeria monocytogenes 1043S was the most sensitive to the aqueous ethanolic rosemary extract. Gram-positive bacteria were generally more sensitive to the tested extracts than Gram-negative ones.

A multistep synthesis of a new analogue of ketoconazole, which was expected to show antifungal and antibacterial activity, has been described.

The synthesis and some germicidal activities in vitro of two congener series of S-substituted 4,6-dihalogeno-2-mercapto-1H-benzimidazoles are reported. There was no substantial difference between antibacterial activities of corresponding 4,6-dichloro- and 4,6-dibromo-derivatives. The present results confirm lower susceptibility to substituted benzimidazoles of Gram-negative compared to Gram-positive bacteria. Minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of a majority of the novel derivatives ranged between 25 and 100microg/ml for Gram-positive bacteria. The most active compounds (MICs for Gram-positive bacteria: 0.78-50microg/ml) were 4,6-dichloro-2-(4-nitrobenzylthio)-1H-benzimidazole and 4,6-dibromo-2-(4-nitrobenzylthio)-1H-benzimidazole that were 4-32 times more potent than nitrofurantoin against all Gram-positive bacteria utilized but Escherichia faecalis, against which they were, respectively, 2 and 4 times less potent than nitrofurantoin. Among Gram-negative bacteria used, Stenotrophomonas maltophilia and Bordetella bronchiseptica were most sensitive (as evidenced by a number of MICs 400microg/ml). All the new compounds were at least several times more active against Giardia intestinalis (IC(50): 0.006-0.053microg/ml), and a half of them were at least several times more active against Trichomonas vaginalis (IC(50): 0.0015-0.182microg/ml) than metronidazole (IC(50): 0.210 and 0.037microg/ml, respectively), the drug of choice in the treatment of G. intestinalis and T. vaginalis infections.