Abstract
Bacterial vaginosis (BV) is the most frequent vaginal infection worldwide. It is caused by the overgrowth of anaerobic vaginal pathogens such as Gardnerella spp. BV has been associated with the occurrence of dense multispecies biofilms on the vaginal mucosa. Treatment of biofilm-associated infections such as BV is challenging. In this study, we have tested the role of a quaternary ammonium compound, dequalinium chloride (DQC), in the eradication of Gardnerella spp. biofilms. The effects of the test substance on the biomass and the metabolic activity of the biofilm of Gardnerella spp. were assessed in vitro using a microtiter plate assay. In addition, the effect of DQC on the Gardnerella spp. biofilm was further assessed by using scanning electron microscopy and confocal laser scanning microscopy. The results showed that DQC was particularly effective in the destruction of BV-associated Gardnerella spp. biotypes, impacting both their biomass and metabolic activity. In addition, the disruption of biofilm architecture was evident and was probably caused by multiple mechanisms of action. We conclude that DQC is an antibiofilm agent and is able to efficiently destroy Gardnerella spp. BV-associated biofilms. Therefore, it is a valid option for BV therapy and has the potential to prevent BV recurrences.
Highlights
Two different culture conditions were tested in order to choose the conditions that provided the most robust biofilm in order to assess the effect of Dequalinium chloride (DQC) on its structure
Our results revealed that both culture media can sustain Gardnerella spp. biofilm growth (Figure 1)
The biofilm obtained using New York City III (NYCIII) medium exhibited an absorbance value that was 4 times higher than the one obtained using Brain Heart Infusion (BHI) medium. These results demonstrate that NYCIII medium provides a higher number of cells in biofilms, which is indicative of a potentially higher Gardnerella spp. growth rate and, a more consistent biofilm
Summary
Publisher’s Note: MDPI stays neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations. Biofilms are complex arrays of microorganism cells, assembled by superficial proteins and exopolysaccharides [1]. Due to the structure of biofilms, the efficacy of antimicrobial compounds against biofilms is generally reduced. A wide array of microbial pathogens has been known to form biofilms on mucosa [2] and abiotic structures [3], preventing effective treatment of infections. There has been increasing interest in research on new compounds with antibiofilm activity [4]
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