EFFECT OF PABN ON ACINETOBACTER BAUMANNII ANTIBIOTIC RESISTANCE

Abstract

Acinetobacter baumannii is a multidrug-resistant and an invasive pathogen and is one of the major causes of nosocomial infections in the current healthcare system. It has been recognized as an agent of pneumonia, septicemia, meningitis, urinary tract, and wound infections, and is associated with high mortality. Pathogenesis in A. baumannii infections is an outcome of multiple virulence factors that help the organism to resist stressful environmental conditions and enable development of severe infections. The efflux pump may play a role in antibiotic resistance in A. baumannii isolates. The ability of A. baumannii isolates to acquire drug resistance by the efflux pump mechanism is a concern. Thus, new strategies are required to eliminate the efflux transport activity from resistant A. baumannii isolates causing nosocomial infections. The effects of efflux pump inhibitors such as the phenylalanine-arginine Β-naphthylamide (PAΒN) on the antimicrobial susceptibility have been examined by many studies and concluded that the addition of the PAΒN at a final concentration of 100 µg/ml greatly reduced the MIC of various antibiotics. In addition, Biofilm plays an important role in persistent infections caused by A. baumannii. Furthermore, the adhesion and biofilm phenotypes of some clinical isolates seem to be related to the presence of broad-spectrum antibiotic resistance. the effects and possible mechanisms of PAβN on A. baumannii biofilm formation and dispersion showed that PAβN inhibited A. baumannii biofilm formation and enhanced its dispersion. The effects of PAβN on A. baumannii biofilm formation and dispersion were independent of the efflux pumps.