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Zinc Salts Inhibit the Growth of Non‐Mucoid and Mucoid Pseudomonas aeruginosa.
Author(s) -
Welty Elisabeth A.,
Cheng NaiLin,
Schwiebert Erik M.
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
the faseb journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.709
H-Index - 277
eISSN - 1530-6860
pISSN - 0892-6638
DOI - 10.1096/fasebj.21.6.a959
Subject(s) - zinc , secretion , microbiology and biotechnology , chemistry , pseudomonas aeruginosa , mucus , siderophore , bacteria , alginic acid , biochemistry , biology , organic chemistry , ecology , genetics , gene
Zinc salts are well‐known homeopathic and FDA‐approved therapeutics that have broad applicability as anti‐inflammatory, anti‐oxidant, anti‐apoptotic, anti‐viral, and anti‐bacterial. In the latter regard and within our interests to apply zinc salts for the benefit of CF patients via a safe route and reasonable dosage, we assessed the effects of zinc salts on the growth and viability of non‐mucoid and mucoid Pseudomonas aeruginosa lab strains. Using a panel of different zinc salts at micromolar and millimolar doses, zinc salts were either applied to “lawns” or fully grown bacterial cultures of non‐mucoid and mucoid P.a. where they had no short‐term or longer‐term deleterious effects. However, in either LB media or on LB‐agar, pre‐inclusion of zinc salts in the 50 micromolar to 5 millimolar range perturbed the growth of both non‐mucoid and mucoid P.a . strains. These bacteria‐static effects were also observed with 1:10 diluted preparations of Zicam nasal gel and liquefied ColdEeze preparations. With regard to mechanism, non‐mucoid P.a. failed to secrete autofluorescent siderophores in the presence of inhibitory zinc salt, suggesting some effect on their secretion and/or iron scavenging properties. The secreted orange‐brown coat characteristic of the mucoid P.a. lab strain was also attenuated in the presence of inhibitory zinc. In addition to the corrective effects on ion transport dysregulation and an emerging anti‐inflammatory mechanism for airway epithelial and other cells involving intracellular zinc, zinc salts could be a preventative countermeasure against persistent bacterial infection in the CF lung and airways. Funded by CFF‐NIH Bridging Grant to EMS.