Inhibitors of reactive oxygen species accumulation delay and/or reduce the lethality of several antistaphylococcal agents

Abstract

Perturbation of hydroxyl radical accumulation by subinhibitory concentrations of 2,2′-bipyridyl plus thiourea protects Escherichia coli from being killed by 3 lethal antimicrobial classes. Here, we show that 2,2′-bipyridyl plus thiourea delays and/or reduces antimicrobial killing of Staphylococcus aureus by daptomycin, moxifloxacin, and oxacillin. While the protective effect of 2,2′-bipyridyl plus thiourea varied among strains and compounds, the data support the hypothesis that hydroxyl radical enhances antimicrobial lethality. Copyright © 2012, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.