The antibacterial activity of human amniotic membrane against multidrug-resistant bacteria associated with urinary tract infections : new insights from normal and cancerous urothelial models

Železnik Ramuta, Taja (author), Tratnjek, Larisa (author), Janev, Aleksandar (author), Seme, Katja (author), Starčič Erjavec, Marjanca (author), Erdani-Kreft, Mateja (author)

Urinary tract infections (UTIs) represent a serious global health issue, especially due to emerging multidrug-resistant UTI-causing bacteria. Recently, we showed that the human amniotic membrane (hAM) could be a candidate for treatments and prevention of UPEC and Staphylococcus aureus infections. However, its role against multidrug-resistant bacteria, namely methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA), extended-spectrum beta-lactamases (ESBL) producing Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae, vancomycin-resistant Enterococci (VRE), carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa has not yet been thoroughly explored. Here, we demonstrate for the first time that the hAM homogenate had antibacterial activity against 7 out of 11 tested multidrug-resistant strains, the greatest effect was on MRSA. Using novel approaches, its activity against MRSA was further evaluated in a complex microenvironment of normal and cancerous urinary bladder urothelia. Even short-term incubation in hAM homogenate significantly decreased the number of bacteria in MRSA-infected urothelial models, while it did not affect the viability, number, and ultrastructure of urothelial cells. The hAM patches had no antibacterial activity against any of the tested strains, which further exposes the importance of the hAM preparation. Our study substantially contributes to basic knowledge on the antibacterial activity of hAM and reveals its potential to be used as an antibacterial agent against multidrug-resistant bacteria.

• Language: English
• Keywords: amniotic membrane homogenate, MRSA, antibiotic resistance, multidrug-resistant bacteria, antimicrobial activity, electron microscopy, urothelial cells, urinary bladder
• Work type: Article
• Typology: 1.01 - Original Scientific Article
• Organization: MF - Faculty of Medicine; BF - Biotechnical Faculty
• Publication status: Published
• Publication version: Version of Record
• Year: 2021
• Number of pages: 21 str.
• Numbering: Vol. 9, iss. 2, art. 218
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-135243
• UDC: 616.6
• ISSN on article: 2227-9059
• DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines9020218
• COBISS.SI-ID: 52599811
• Publication date in RUL: 02.03.2022

Record is a part of a journal

• Title: Biomedicines
• Shortened title: Biomedicines
• Publisher: MDPI AG
• ISSN: 2227-9059
• COBISS.SI-ID: 523006745

Licences

• License: CC BY 4.0, Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
• Link: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
• Description: This is the standard Creative Commons license that gives others maximum freedom to do what they want with the work as long as they credit the author.
• Licensing start date: 20.02.2021

Secondary language

• Language: Slovenian
• Keywords: homogenat amnijske membrane, MRSA, odpornost na antibiotike