Activity of cecropin P1 and FA-LL-37 against urogenital microflora

• Published in: Microbes and infection Vol. 2; no. 7; pp. 773 - 777
• Main Authors: Smeianov, Vladimir, Scott, Kellie, Reid, Gregor
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Lausanne Elsevier SAS 01.06.2000; Amsterdam Elsevier; Paris
• Subjects: Amino Acid Sequence; Animals; Anti-Bacterial Agents - pharmacology; Antibacterial agents; Antibiotics. Antiinfectious agents. Antiparasitic agents; Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides; antimicrobials; Biological and medical sciences; Carrier Proteins - pharmacology; Cathelicidins; cecropin P1; Colony Count, Microbial; Enterobacteriaceae - drug effects; Enterobacteriaceae - growth & development; Enterobacteriaceae - isolation & purification; FA-LL-37; Humans; Lactobacillus - drug effects; Lactobacillus - growth & development; Lactobacillus - isolation & purification; Medical sciences; Microbial Sensitivity Tests; Molecular Sequence Data; Peptides; Pharmacology. Drug treatments; Pilot Projects; urogenital flora; Urogenital System - microbiology; urogenital flora; peptides; antimicrobials; Vertebrata; Mammalia; Urinary system; Peptides; Genital system; Microflora; In vitro; Biological activity; Antimicrobial agent
• ISSN: 1286-4579; 1769-714X
• DOI: 10.1016/S1286-4579(00)90359-9

Two mammalian antimicrobial peptides, FA-LL-37 and cecropin P1, were tested for activity against six uropathogens and five Lactobacillus strains by broth microdilution assay. Both peptides inhibited Escherichia coli at 25 μM (FA-LL-39), and 1.56 μM (cecropin P1), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (12.5 μM, and 25 μM), and Klebsiella pneumoniae, (50 μM, and 1.56 μM), but not Enterococcus faecalis and Staphylococcus epidermidis. FA-LL-37 acted bacteriocidally against E. coli and bacteriostatically against the other two Gram-negative organisms. Cecropin P1 was bacteriocidal to all susceptible bacteria. Lactobacilli were resistant to both peptides, with the exception of poultry isolate Lactobacillus fermentum B-54, which was susceptible to FA-LL-37 at 100 μM. The differential activities of these peptides toward Gram-negative uropathogens versus urogenital lactobacilli demonstrate their potential as a topical treatment for urinary tract infections. In addition, production of such peptides in vivo could be a natural mechanism to aid in the maintenance of the lactobacilli-dominated urogenital flora at the expense of pathogens.