Effect of asiatic and ursolic acids on morphology, hydrophobicity, and adhesion of UPECs to uroepithelial cells

Wojnicz Dorota,Tichaczek-Goska Dorota,Kicia Marta

doi:10.1007/s12223-012-0205-7

Abstract

Adhesion of bacteria to epithelial tissue is an essential step in the progression of the urinary tract infections. Reduction of virulence factors responsible for microbial attachment may help to decrease or inhibit colonization of the host organism by pathogens. In the age of increasing bacterial antibiotic resistance, more and more attention is being paid to the use of plants and/or their bioactive components in the prevention and treatment of human infections. Asiatic acid (AA) and ursolic acid (UA), two plant secondary metabolites, were used as potential antibacterial agents. The current study aimed to determine the possible impact of AA and UA on morphology, hydrophobicity, and adhesion of clinical uropathogenic Escherichia coli strains (UPEC) to the uroepithelial cells. Our work describes for the first time the effects exerted by AA and UA on virulence factors of UPECs. The impact of both acids on the cell surface hydrophobicity of the investigated strains was very weak. The results clearly show the influence of AA and UA on the presence of P fimbriae and curli fibers, morphology of the UPECs cells and their adhesion to epithelium; however, some differences between activities of AA and UA were found.

Highlights

In most infectious diseases, the adherence of pathogenic organisms to the host tissues is an essential step of invasion leading to colonization
The mean number of bacteria attached to the one uroepithelial cell was reduced to 72 % (225.0±11.8) and 53 % (166.0±21.4) after incubation in 40 and 50 μg/mL Asiatic acid (AA), respectively (P
Adhesion of uropathogenic Escherichia coli strains (UPEC) to the uroepithelium is a crucial step in the pathogenesis and colonization of the urinary tract

Summary

Introduction

The adherence of pathogenic organisms to the host tissues is an essential step of invasion leading to colonization Both specific (ligand-receptor like) and nonspecific (physicochemical) interactions may play an important role in the attachment ability of bacteria to the epithelial cells. The role of adherence in the ability of uropathogenic Escherichia coli strains (UPECs) to induce urinary tract infections (UTIs) has been extensively studied (Mulvey 2002). Both P and type 1 fimbriae play a particular role in the adhesiveness of UPECs (Melican et al 2011). Bacterial binding is mediated by the hydrophobic interactions between uropathogenic rods and uroepithelial cell surfaces. Changes of the nature of bacterial cell surface could alter their adhesive capacity and reduce the spread of the infection in the human body

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