Theranostics 2020; 10(23):10697-10711. doi:10.7150/thno.45951 This issue Cite

Research Paper

Melatonin overcomes MCR-mediated colistin resistance in Gram-negative pathogens

Yuan Liu1,2,3✉#, Yuqian Jia1#, Kangni Yang1, Ziwen Tong1, Jingru Shi1, Ruichao Li1,2,3, Xia Xiao1,2, Wenkai Ren4✉, Rüdiger Hardeland5, Russel J. Reiter6, Zhiqiang Wang1,2✉

1. College of Veterinary Medicine, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, Jiangsu 225009, China.
2. Jiangsu Co-innovation Center for Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Diseases and Zoonoses, Joint International Research Laboratory of Agriculture and Agri-Product Safety, the Ministry of Education of China, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, Jiangsu 225009, China.
3. Institute of Comparative Medicine, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, Jiangsu 225009, China.
4. State key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical Agro-Bioresources, Guangdong Laboratory of Lingnan Modern Agriculture, National Engineering Research Center for Breeding Swine Industry, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition Control, College of Animal Science, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China.
5. Johann Friedrich Blumenbach Institute of Zoology and Anthropology, University of Göttingen, 37073 Göttingen, Germany.
6. Department of Cellular and Structural Biology, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, 78229 TX, USA.
#These authors contributed equally to this work.

Citation:
Liu Y, Jia Y, Yang K, Tong Z, Shi J, Li R, Xiao X, Ren W, Hardeland R, Reiter RJ, Wang Z. Melatonin overcomes MCR-mediated colistin resistance in Gram-negative pathogens. Theranostics 2020; 10(23):10697-10711. doi:10.7150/thno.45951. https://www.thno.org/v10p10697.htm
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Abstract

Graphic abstract

Background: Emergence, prevalence and widely spread of plasmid-mediated colistin resistance in Enterobacteriaceae strongly impairs the clinical efficacy of colistin against life-threatening bacterial infections. Combinations of antibiotics and FDA-approved non-antibiotic agents represent a promising means to address the widespread emergence of antibiotic-resistant pathogens.

Methods: Herein, we investigated the synergistic activity between melatonin and antibiotics against MCR (mobilized colistin resistance)-positive Gram-negative pathogens through checkerboard assay and time-killing curve. Molecular mechanisms underlying its mode of action were elucidated. Finally, we assessed the in vivo efficacy of melatonin in combination with colistin against drug-resistant Gram-negative bacteria.

Results: Melatonin, which has been approved for treating sleep disturbances and circadian disorders, substantially potentiates the activity of three antibiotics, particularly colistin, against MCR-expressing pathogens without enhancing its toxicity. This is evidence that the combination of colistin with melatonin enhances bacterial outer membrane permeability, promotes oxidative damage and inhibits the effect of efflux pumps. In three animal models infected by mcr-1-carrying E. coli, melatonin dramatically rescues colistin efficacy.

Conclusion: Our findings revealed that melatonin serves as a promising colistin adjuvant against MCR-positive Gram-negative pathogens.

Keywords: antibiotic adjuvant, bacterial infections, colistin, gram-negative pathogen, melatonin


Citation styles

APA
Liu, Y., Jia, Y., Yang, K., Tong, Z., Shi, J., Li, R., Xiao, X., Ren, W., Hardeland, R., Reiter, R.J., Wang, Z. (2020). Melatonin overcomes MCR-mediated colistin resistance in Gram-negative pathogens. Theranostics, 10(23), 10697-10711. https://doi.org/10.7150/thno.45951.

ACS
Liu, Y.; Jia, Y.; Yang, K.; Tong, Z.; Shi, J.; Li, R.; Xiao, X.; Ren, W.; Hardeland, R.; Reiter, R.J.; Wang, Z. Melatonin overcomes MCR-mediated colistin resistance in Gram-negative pathogens. Theranostics 2020, 10 (23), 10697-10711. DOI: 10.7150/thno.45951.

NLM
Liu Y, Jia Y, Yang K, Tong Z, Shi J, Li R, Xiao X, Ren W, Hardeland R, Reiter RJ, Wang Z. Melatonin overcomes MCR-mediated colistin resistance in Gram-negative pathogens. Theranostics 2020; 10(23):10697-10711. doi:10.7150/thno.45951. https://www.thno.org/v10p10697.htm

CSE
Liu Y, Jia Y, Yang K, Tong Z, Shi J, Li R, Xiao X, Ren W, Hardeland R, Reiter RJ, Wang Z. 2020. Melatonin overcomes MCR-mediated colistin resistance in Gram-negative pathogens. Theranostics. 10(23):10697-10711.

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