Title : Effect of glutathione on antibiotic susceptibility and resistance in bacteria
Abstract:
Infections with antibiotic resistance are associated with millions of deaths annually and are a significant healthcare challenge. A new antibiotic or strategy is an urgent priority to reduce antibiotic resistance. Glutathione (GSH) is a biogenic thiol compound for an optimal intracellular redox potential required for various normal cellular processes. My laboratory has studied the effects of intracellular and extracellular GSH of Pseudomonas aeruginosa on antibiotic susceptibility. We further examined the effects of GSH on other bacterial pathogens, such as Acinetobacter baumannii and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. Our results concluded that i) intracellular GSH is associated with antibiotic susceptibility, ii) extracellular GSH exhibited antibacterial activity regardless of antibiotic susceptibility and resistance, iii) the antibacterial activity of GSH synergistically enhanced susceptibility of conventional antibiotics, and iv) GSH-mediated acidity was partially associated with the antibacterial activity of GSH. These findings suggest that GSH provides a clue to finding a drug target or strategy to reduce antibiotic resistance in bacterial infections.
