Poly(Propylene Imine) Dendrimers and Amoxicillin as Dual-Action Antibacterial Agents
Natalia Wrońska,
Aleksandra Felczak,
Katarzyna Zawadzka,
Martyna Poszepczyńska,
Sylwia Różalska,
Maria Bryszewska,
Dietmar Appelhans,
Katarzyna Lisowska
Affiliations
Natalia Wrońska
Department of Industrial Microbiology and Biotechnology, Faculty of Biology and Environmental Protection, University of Lodz, 12/16 Banacha Street, 90-237 Lodz, Poland
Aleksandra Felczak
Department of Industrial Microbiology and Biotechnology, Faculty of Biology and Environmental Protection, University of Lodz, 12/16 Banacha Street, 90-237 Lodz, Poland
Katarzyna Zawadzka
Department of Industrial Microbiology and Biotechnology, Faculty of Biology and Environmental Protection, University of Lodz, 12/16 Banacha Street, 90-237 Lodz, Poland
Martyna Poszepczyńska
Department of Industrial Microbiology and Biotechnology, Faculty of Biology and Environmental Protection, University of Lodz, 12/16 Banacha Street, 90-237 Lodz, Poland
Sylwia Różalska
Department of Industrial Microbiology and Biotechnology, Faculty of Biology and Environmental Protection, University of Lodz, 12/16 Banacha Street, 90-237 Lodz, Poland
Maria Bryszewska
Department of General Biophysics, Faculty of Biology and Environmental Protection, University of Lodz, 141/143, Pomorska Street, 90-236 Lodz, Poland
Dietmar Appelhans
Leibniz Institute of Polymer Research Dresden, Hohe Street 6, 01069 Dresden, Germany
Katarzyna Lisowska
Department of Industrial Microbiology and Biotechnology, Faculty of Biology and Environmental Protection, University of Lodz, 12/16 Banacha Street, 90-237 Lodz, Poland
Besides acting as antimicrobial compounds, dendrimers can be considered as agents that improve the therapeutic effectiveness of existing antibiotics. In this work we present a new approach to using amoxicillin (AMX) against reference strains of common Gram-negative pathogens, alone and in combination with poly(propylene imine) (PPI) dendrimers, or derivatives thereof, in which 100% of the available hydrogen atoms are substituted with maltose (PPI 100%malG3). The concentrations of dendrimers used remained in the range non-toxic to eukaryotic cells. The results indicate that PPI dendrimers significantly enhance the antibacterial effect of amoxicillin alone, allowing antibiotic doses to be reduced. It is important to reduce doses of amoxicillin because its widespread use in medicine could lead to the development of bacterial resistance and environmental pollution. This is the first report on the combined antibacterial activity of PPI surface-modified maltose dendrimers and amoxicillin.
