In vitro antibacterial effect of berberine combined with levofloxacin on MRSA and related mechanisms
10.11816/cn.ni.2025-250514
- VernacularTitle:小檗碱联合左氧氟沙星对MRSA的体外抑菌效果及相关机制
- Author:
Yanan LI
1
;
Xuemei GU
1
;
Fangfang ZHOU
1
;
Mingming JIANG
1
;
Lei WANG
1
Author Information
1. 上海市第八人民医院检验科,上海 200235
- Publication Type:Journal Article
- Keywords:
Berberine;
Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus;
Levofloxacin;
Combined inhibition
- From:
Chinese Journal of Nosocomiology
2025;35(18):2721-2725
- CountryChina
- Language:Chinese
-
Abstract:
OBJECTIVE T o understand the resistance capability of berberine combined with levofloxacin in vitro to methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus(MRSA).METHODS Totally 100 strains of MRSA were isolated from Shanghai Eighth People's Hospital from Jul.2023 to Jun.2024,the minimum inhibitory concentrations(MICs)of berberine and levofloxacin against the strains were determined by microbroth dilution method.The anti-bacterial effect of the combined use of the two drugs on MRSA was observed.The effects of the single and com-bined use of berberine and levofloxacin on sterilization of MRSA standard strain USA 300-LAC and their influence on cellular morphology were observed.The influence of berberine on mRNA levels of drug resistance genes and ef-flux pump-related genes in the standard strain USA 300-LAC and clinical strains was determined by means of real-time fluorescent quantitative PCR.RESULTS Among the 100 clinical isolates of MRSA,most of them were isola-ted from respiratory tract specimens of respiratory medicine department and geriatrics department,and 75.00％of the strains were resistant to levofloxacin.The MICs of both berberine and levofloxacin against the standard strain USA300-LAC were 128 μg/ml;the MICs against the clinical MRSA isolates were 64 to 1024 μg/ml and 0.125 to 256 μg/ml,respectively.Berberine combined with levofloxacin showed additive effect on 17(44.74％)strains of MRSA.The combined use of the two drugs showed the most remarkable in vitro antibacterial effect.The cellular structures of the strains were unclear and the contents of bacterial bodies increased when berberine and levofloxacin were used in combination.Berberine showed various degree of inhibitory effect on gyrA,gyrB,grlA and nor A genes.CONCLUSIONS Berberine is capable of resisting the MRSA and shows synergistic or additive effect with levofloxacin.The combined use of the two drugs may reduce the MIC against levofloxacin,destroy the morpholog-ical structure,and inhibit the expression of gyrA,gyrB,grlA and nor A genes.
