Relocating Glyceryl Trinitrate as an Anti-Virulence Agent against IPseudomonas aeruginosa/I and ISerratia marcescens/I: Insights from Molecular and In Vivo Investigations

• Published in: Microorganisms (Basel) Vol. 11; no. 10
• Main Authors: Nazeih, Shaimaa I, Ali, Mohamed A. M, Halim, Alyaa S. Abdel, Al-Lawati, Hanan, Abbas, Hisham A, Al-Zharani, Mohammed, Boufahja, Fehmi, Alghamdi, Mashael A, Hegazy, Wael A. H, Seleem, Noura M
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 01.09.2023
• Subjects: Antibacterial agents; Drug resistance in microorganisms; Gram-negative bacteria; Nitroglycerin; Pharmaceutical research; Physiological aspects; Quorum sensing; Virulence (Microbiology); Saudi Arabia
• ISSN: 2076-2607; 2076-2607
• DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms11102420

The problem of antibiotic resistance is a global critical public health concern. In light of the threat of returning to the pre-antibiotic era, new alternative approaches are required such as quorum-sensing (QS) disruption and virulence inhibition, both of which apply no discernible selective pressure on bacteria, therefore mitigating the potential for the development of resistant strains. Bearing in mind the significant role of QS in orchestrating bacterial virulence, disrupting QS becomes essential for effectively diminishing bacterial virulence. This study aimed to assess the potential use of sub-inhibitory concentration (0.25 mg/mL) of glyceryl trinitrate (GTN) to inhibit virulence in Serratia marcescens and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. GTN could decrease the expression of virulence genes in both tested bacteria in a significant manner. Histopathological study revealed the ability of GTN to alleviate the congestion in hepatic and renal tissues of infected mice and to reduce bacterial and leukocyte infiltration. This study recommends the use of topical GTN to treat topical infection caused by P. aeruginosa and S. marcescens in combination with antibiotics.