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The effect of reserpine, a modulator of multidrug efflux pumps, on the in vitro activity of tetracycline against clinical isolates of methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) possessing the tet (K) determinant
Author(s) -
Gibbons Simon,
Udo E. E.
Publication year - 2000
Publication title -
phytotherapy research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.019
H-Index - 129
eISSN - 1099-1573
pISSN - 0951-418X
DOI - 10.1002/(sici)1099-1573(200003)14:2<139::aid-ptr608>3.0.co;2-8
Subject(s) - efflux , tetracycline , multiple drug resistance , microbiology and biotechnology , reserpine , staphylococcus aureus , antibiotics , pharmacology , biology , medicine , bacteria , biochemistry , genetics
As part of a screening programme to identify modulators of multidrug efflux in methicillin resistant Staphyloccocus aureus (MRSA), we have validated our assays using the antihypertensive plant alkaloid reserpine. Clinical isolates of MRSA were resistant to tetracycline and shown to possess the tet (K) determinant which encodes for the Tet(K) efflux protein, which conferred high level resistance to tetracycline (MIC = 128 µg/mL). In the presence of reserpine, a known inhibitor of multidrug resistance (mdr) efflux pumps, this MIC was significantly reduced (MIC = 32 µg/mL). Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.