Carbon monoxide may improve the
effectiveness of antibiotics, making bacteria more sensitive to antibiotic
medication, according to a study led by Georgia State University.
Researchers paired carbon monoxide with
the antibiotic metronidazole and found carbon monoxide enhanced the efficacy of
the antibiotic against H. pylori, a
type of bacteria that infects the stomach and causes peptic ulcers.
Carbon monoxide is infamous for its
toxicity at high concentrations, but it also has promising potential as a
medical gas. Produced naturally in the human body, carbon monoxide is essential
for survival and plays an important role in reducing inflammation, promoting
cell proliferation and regulating cellular immune response to pathogens.
Studies have found carbon monoxide has antimicrobial effects.
In this study, the researchers developed
a prodrug system that releases three components: carbon monoxide, an antibiotic
(metronidazole) and a fluorescent molecule used to monitor the release of
carbon monoxide. A prodrug is the precursor of a drug and must undergo a
chemical conversion before becoming an active pharmacological agent. This
prodrug system has a three-reaction sequence and becomes active when placed in
water, which sets the reaction in motion.
They studied H. pylori bacteria in a culture dish and compared the effect of
only the antibiotic metronidazole against the bacteria versus the prodrug
system with metronidazole and carbon monoxide combined.
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Posted by Dr. Tim Sandle
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Pharmaceutical Microbiology