The Combination of Low-Frequency Ultrasound and Antibiotics Improves the Killing of In Vitro <i>Staphylococcus aureus</i> and <i>Pseudomonas aeruginosa</i> Biofilms
Due to an increase in underlying predisposing factors, chronic wounds have become an increasing burden on healthcare systems worldwide. Chronic infections often contain biofilm-forming bacteria, which are challenging to eradicate due to increased antibiotic tolerance; thus, new and improved therapeu...
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| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
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| Format: | Book |
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MDPI AG,
2022-10-01T00:00:00Z.
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| Summary: | Due to an increase in underlying predisposing factors, chronic wounds have become an increasing burden on healthcare systems worldwide. Chronic infections often contain biofilm-forming bacteria, which are challenging to eradicate due to increased antibiotic tolerance; thus, new and improved therapeutic strategies are warranted. One such strategy is the combination of ultrasound and antibiotics. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the combinatory effects of low-frequency (50 kHz) ultrasound delivered by specially designed ultrasound patches using flexible piezoelectric material, PiezoPaint™, in combination with antibiotics against biofilms with <i>Staphylococcus aureus</i> and <i>Pseudomonas aeruginosa</i>. The reduction in viable cells in <i>S. aureus</i> and <i>P. aeruginosa</i> biofilms was evaluated post-treatment with fusidic acid, clindamycin, ciprofloxacin, and colistin in combination with ultrasound treatment. Two-hour ultrasound treatment significantly increased the bactericidal effect of all four antibiotics, resulting in a 96-98% and 90-93% reduction in <i>P. aeruginosa</i> and <i>S. aureus</i>, respectively. In addition, an additive effect was observed when extending treatment to 4 h, resulting in >99% and 95-97% reduction in <i>P. aeruginosa</i> and <i>S. aureus</i>, respectively. These results contrasted the lack of effect observed when treating filter-biofilms with antibiotics alone. The combined effect of ultrasound and antibiotic treatment resulted in a synergistic effect, reducing the viability of the clinically relevant pathogens <i>S. aureus</i> and <i>P. aeruginosa</i>. The modularity of the specially designed patches intended for topical treatment holds promising applications as a supplement in chronic wound therapy. Further studies are warranted with clinically isolated strains and other clinically relevant antibiotics before proceeding to studies where safety and applicability are investigated. |
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| Item Description: | 10.3390/antibiotics11111494 2079-6382 |