Abstract
Infections caused by antibiotic-resistant strains of Staphylococcus aureus have reached epidemic proportions globally. Our previous study showed antimicrobial effects of anandamide (AEA) and arachidonoyl serine (AraS) against methicillin (MET)-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) strains, proposing the therapeutic potential of these endocannabinoid/endocannabinoid-like (EC/EC-like) agents for the treatment of MRSA. Here, we investigated the potential synergism of combinations of AEA and AraS with different types of antibiotics against MRSA grown under planktonic growth or biofilm formation. The most effective combinations under planktonic conditions were mixtures of AEA and ampicillin (AMP), and of AraS and gentamicin (GEN). The combination with the highest synergy in the biofilm formation against all tested bacterial strains was AEA and MET. Moreover, the combination of AraS and MET synergistically caused default of biofilm formation. Slime production of MRSA was also dramatically impaired by AEA or AraS combined with MET. Our data suggest the novel potential activity of combinations of EC/EC-like agents and antibiotics in the prevention of MRSA biofilm formation.
Highlights
The ability of bacterial pathogens to adapt and to overcome the challenges of antibiotics is a life-threatening problem that has emerged in the last few decades
We investigated the potential synergistic effects of combining EC and EC-like compounds antimicrobial effects of anandamide (AEA) and arachidonoyl serine (AraS) with different antibiotics against MRSA growing under planktonic growth or biofilm formation
Especially those associated with resistant bacteria, constitute a clinical problem
Summary
The ability of bacterial pathogens to adapt and to overcome the challenges of antibiotics is a life-threatening problem that has emerged in the last few decades. S. aureus can form biofilms on biotic and abiotic surfaces during infection Very often, these biofilms are highly resistant to antimicrobials and are difficult to eradicate by host immune factors, since they act to protect bacteria from the effects of both antibiotics and the host immune system. A few studies have reported the antimicrobial effects of cannabis extracts against different pathogens [20], and anti-MRSA activity of exogenous cannabinoids [21]. We have shown that single AEA and AraS effectively alter the pathogenicity of different MRSA strains [22]. We investigated the potential synergistic effects of combining EC and EC-like compounds AEA and AraS with different antibiotics against MRSA growing under planktonic growth or biofilm formation
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