The therapeutic effect of the pexiganan peptide on antibioticresistance nosocomial pathogens models

Background and Aim : The appearance of bacterial strains with antibiotic resistance and the needfor novel effective therapeutic agents has stimulated interest to develop antimicrobial peptides(AMPs) as a replaced approach. The present study aimed to investigate the therapeutic effect ofthe pexiganan peptide on antibiotic resistance nosocomial pathogens in vitro and in vivo.Methods : The inhibitory effect of the pexiganan peptide was assessed on the human primaryfibroblast cell line (C۶۵۴), we also evaluated the hemolytic activity of the peptide on human redblood cells (RBCs). The median lethal dose (LD۵۰) and sub-lethal dose of pexiganan peptide forintraperitoneal (i.p.) administration have been performed by using BALB/c mice. The extensivelydrug-resistant (XDR) Acinetobacter baumannii, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus(MRSA), and KPC-producing Klebsiella pneumonia (KPC-KP) strains were used for assessing theantibacterial efficacy of pexiganan peptide, in vitro and in vivo.Results : In vitro results indicated that MIC (۸-۷۱.۲۱μg/ml) and MBC (۱۶-۱۲۸μg/ml) value ofpexiganan had no cytotoxicity effect on human primary fibroblast cell line (IC۵۰=۶.۰۳μg/ml). Invivo results showed that sub-lethal doses of pexiganan (۳.۳mg/kg/i.p.) had no obvious changes inliver and kidney structure which also had no significant difference in biochemical andhematological markers. However, it couldn't significantly reduce the peritoneal loads of bacteriaor increase the survival rate of infected mice models.Conclusion : All these findings demonstrated the great in vitro antibacterial activity of pexiganan,while it couldn't result in a complete therapy in the mice models that were infected with antibioticresistance nosocomial pathogens.

کلیدواژه ها:

Antimicrobial peptides ، Pexiganan ، Antibiotic resistance