The Inhibitory Effect of Thioridazine on adeB Efflux Pump Gene Expression  in Multidrug-Resistant Acinetobacter baumannii Isolates Using Real Time PCR

Fereshteh  Ahmadi; Bahman Khalvati; Saba  Eslami; Mehdi   Mirzaii; Narges  Roustaei; Farzad  Mazloomirad; Seyed Sajjad  Khoramrooz

doi:10.18502/ajmb.v14i2.8884

Fereshteh Ahmadi Student Research Committee, Yasuj University of Medical Sciences, Yasuj, Iran
Bahman Khalvati Medicinal Plants Research Center, Yasuj University of Medical Sciences, Yasuj, Iran
Saba Eslami Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
Mehdi Mirzaii Faculty of Medicine, Shahroud University of Medical Sciences, Shahroud, Iran
Narges Roustaei Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Health and Nutrition Sciences, Social Determinants of Health Research Center, Yasuj University of Medical Sciences, Yasuj, Iran
Farzad Mazloomirad Student Research Committee, Yasuj University of Medical Sciences, Yasuj, Iran
Seyed Sajjad Khoramrooz Cellular and Molecular Research Center, Yasuj University of Medical Sciences, Yasuj, Iran

DOI: https://doi.org/10.18502/ajmb.v14i2.8884

Keywords: Acinetobacter baumannii, Ciprofloxacin, Gene expression, Real-time polymerase chain reaction, Thioridazine

Abstract

Background: The purpose of the present study was to investigate the antimicrobial effects of berberine and thioridazine, as well as their effect on the gene expression of the AdeABC efflux pump system in Multidrug-Resistant (MDR) Acinetobacter baumannii (A. baumannii) isolates.

Methods: This study was carried out in five MDR clinical isolates of A. baumannii and a sample of standard strain (A. baumannii PTCC1797). The effect of Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) and the Minimum Bactericidal Concentration (MBC) of berberine, thioridazine, and ciprofloxacin alone and their combination on A. baumannii was evaluated by broth microdilution method. Also, their effect on the expression of adeB efflux pump gene was evaluated using real time PCR method.

Results: The MIC of thioridazine, berberine, ciprofloxacin+thioridazine, ciprofloxacin+berberine, thioridazine+berberine, and ciprofloxacin+thioridazine+berberine on MDR A. baumannii isolates was 64, 256, 128, 256, 128, and 128 μg/ml, respectively. The results showed that treatment of strains with thioridazine alone and in combination with berberine and ciprofloxacin significantly (p<0.05) decreased the expression of adeB efflux pump gene.

Conclusion: Due to the inhibitory effects of thioridazine on bacterial isolates and adeB efflux pump gene, this compound can be used as a potential antimicrobial agent against MDR A. baumannii.