Effect of Gold Nanostars Plus Amikacin against Carbapenem-Resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae Biofilms

Abstract

(1) Background: Carbapenem-resistant Klesiella pneumoniae (CR-KP) infection rates depict an almost pre-antibiotic scenario since the pipeline for effective antibiotics against this pathogen has been almost entirely depleted. This study aims to evaluate the antibacterial effect of gold nanostars (GNS) alone or associated with some of the most widely used antibiotics for the treatment of CR-KP strains, i.e., meropenem or amikacin, on both planktonic and sessile forms. Additionally, we measured the effect of GNS on cell proliferation and biocompatibility in invertebrate in vivo models. (2) Materials and methods: GNS were made from gold seeds grown using a seeded-growth surfactant-free method assisted by silver ions and functionalized with mercapto-poly(ethylene glycol)amino by ligand exchange. The antimicrobial capacity, effect on cell proliferation, and biocompatibility of the most effective combination was evaluated in a Galleria mellonella model. (3) Results: The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimal bactericidal concentration (MBC) were 80 and 160 µM of GNS for all strains, respectively. The minimum biofilm inhibitory concentration (MBIC) and minimum biofilm eradication concentration (MBEC) were >320 µM of GNS for both. A synergy was found between GNS and amikacin. Larvae administered GNS plus amikacin were found to tolerate the treatment well, which prevented infection. (4) Conclusions: GNS are a promising anti-CR-KP nanomaterial.

Amikacin-loaded niosome nanoparticles improve amikacin activity against antibiotic-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae strains

“…The encapsulating of amikacin by using low-molecular-weight poly(lactic acid) (PLA) and poly(lactic acid-co-polyethylene glycol) (PLA-PEG), both supplemented with poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA), was reported that the particle size was < 30 μm for long term release the MBC, MIC and, cytotoxicity was not determined (Glinka et al 2021 ). Another amikacin- nanoparticle is the combination of gold nanostars (GNS) and amikacin, in which it is the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC), and minimal bactericidal concentration (MBC) were 80 and 160 µM of GNS for all strains, respectively (Aguilera-Correa et al 2022 ). Another is that coated gold nanoparticles reported that their binding to amikacin was mediated by trisodium citrate, polyvinylpolypyrrolidone, and Tween 20.…”

Synthesis, characterization, and antibacterial activities of a heteroscorpionate derivative platinum complex against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus

“…A static 24-h incubation at 37°C in 5% CO 2 was followed. After incubation, bacterial viability was determined by adding 20 μl of 5 mg/mL of 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazole-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazol (MTT) per well (Sigma Aldrich, Merck, Darmstadt, Germany) and incubating at 37°C (100 rpm) for 1 h. Once incubation was completed, columns that did not have any color change were rated as higher than the MIC value and absorbance was measured at a wavelength of 570nm ( Aguilera-Correa et al., 2022a ). The MBC was determined with the methodology Flash microbiocide using the previously MIC plate ( Hernandes et al, 2023 ).…”

Relationship between biofilm formation and antibiotic resistance of Klebsiella pneumoniae and updates on antibiofilm therapeutic strategies

“…The treatment significantly reduced the level of K. pneumoniae biofilm by 85%-90%. Aguilera-Correa et al evaluated the antibacterial effect of gold nanostars (GNS) alone, and in combination with meropenem or amikacin against both planktonic and biofilm form CRKP strains (Aguilera-Correa et al, 2022). The combination of 4 µg/mL amikacin with GNS concentrations greater than 80 µM was found to inhibit biofilm growth of K. pneumoniae strains, whereas inhibitory effects on ATCC23357 biofilm were observed when combined with 2µg/mL meropenem and various concentrations of GNS.…”