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. 2019 Mar;19(1):1376-1384.
doi: 10.4314/ahs.v19i1.10.

Glyceryl trinitrate blocks staphyloxanthin and biofilm formation in Staphylococcus aureus

Hisham A Abbas  1 , Ahmed M Elsherbini  2 , Moutaz A Shaldam  3
Affiliations

Glyceryl trinitrate blocks staphyloxanthin and biofilm formation in Staphylococcus aureus

Hisham A Abbas et al. Afr Health Sci. 2019 Mar.

Abstract

Background: Staphylococcus aureus is an important nosocomial bacterium that is responsible for a number of infections that may be fatal. The treatment of such infections is limited by emergence of antibiotic resistance. Targeting virulence of Staphylococcus aureus may provide an alternative option to antibiotic that may bypass the emergence of resistant strains due to lack of stress on viability.

Objectives: Investigation of the ability of glyceryl trinitrate (GTN) to inhibit staphyloxanthin, biofilm and tolerance to oxidative stress.

Methods: The disk sensitivity method was used to detect the methicillin resistance of Staphylococcus aureus. The effect of sub-inhibitory concentration of GTN on biofilm formation, staphyloxanthin production and tolerance to oxidative stress was evaluated. Molecular docking study was used to investigate the ability of GTN to bind to dehydrosqualene synthase enzyme.

Results: GTN showed a significant inhibition of biofilm, staphyloxanthin and tolerance to oxidative stress. In the molecular docking study, it was found that GTN could bind to dehydrosqualene synthase enzyme by hydrogen bonding, electrostatic interaction and pi-cation interaction.

Conclusion: The present study revealed the ability of GTN to serve as a potential anti-virulence candidate for attenuation of S. aureus pathogenicity.

Keywords: Glyceryl trinitrate; Staphylococcus aureus; biofilm; staphyloxanthin.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Inhibition of biofilm formation of S. aueus by ¼ MIC of GTN. *, significant P < 0.05. Microscopic images of biofilm formed by S. aureus ATCC 6538 under the light microscope (X400) in the treated culture (right) and untreated (left).
Figure 2
Figure 2
Inhibition of Staphyloxanthin production by ¼ MIC of GTN. *, significant P < 0.05.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Reduction of tolerance to oxidative stress by ¼ MIC of GTN. *, significant P < 0.05.
Figure 4
Figure 4
The Molecular docking of GTN into the active site of dehydrosqualene synthase 3D (Left) and 2D schematic view of the binding (Right).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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