Characteristics of Klebsiella pneumoniae exposed to serial antibiotic treatments

항균제에 대한 내성 증가는 국내뿐만 아니라 세계적으로도 인류 건강에 큰논란이 되고 있다. 박테리아에 의한 감염을 치료하기 위해 같은 혹은 다른 계열의 항생제에 순차적으로 노출된다. 따라서, 본 연구는 ciprofloxacin과 meropenem의 순차적 처리에 따른 폐렴간균(Klebsiella pneumoniae)의 생육, 항생제 민감성, 돌연변이 빈도, β -lactamase activity, 생물막 형성 및 내성 관련 유전자 발현을 평가하기 위해 설계되었다. 처리군은 대조군(control; CON), 1/2 MIC ciprofloxacin (1/2CIP), 2 MIC ciprofloxacin (2CIP), 1/2 MIC ciprofloxacin+1/2 MIC meropenem+2 MIC ciprofloxacin (1/2CIP-1/2MEM-2CIP), 1/2 MIC ciprofloxacin+1/2 MIC meropenem+2 MIC meropenem(1/2CIP-1/2MEM-2MEM), 1/2 MIC ciprofloxacin+2 MIC ciprofloxacin+2 MIC meropenem (1/2CIP-2CIP-2MEM)을 포함한다. 24시간의 배양 동안 2CIP처리군에서 K. pneumoniae의 생육이 관찰되지 않았다. 모든 처리군에서 planktonic cell의 수는 7에서 10 log CFU/ml의 유의적인 차이를 보였으나 biofilm cell의 수는 7 log CFU/ml로 비슷하였다. 돌연변이 빈도는 1/2CIP-1/2MEM-2CIP에서 가장 낮은 14%을 보였다. 대조군과 비교하여 1/2CIP-2CIP-2MEM 처리 K. pneumoniae는 piperacillin, cefotaxime, nalidixic에 대한 민감도가 감소되었다. 1/2CIP-1/2MEM-2CIPrk 가장 높은 β -lactamase activity(22 nmol/min/ml)을 보인 반면 1/2CIP-2CIP-2MEM은 가장 낮은 β -lactamase activity (6 nmol/min/ml)을 보였다. Multidrug efflux pump 관련 유전자(acrA, acrB, and ramA)의 발현은 1/2CIP-1/2MER-2MER and 1/2CIP2CIP-2MER 처리된 K. pneumoniae에서 2배 이상 증가하였다. 따라서 순차적 항생제의 처리는 K. pneumoniae의 항생제 내성 양상을 변화시킬 수 있다. The emergence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria has been increased and become a public health concern worldwide. Many bacterial infections can be sequentially treated with different types of antibiotics. Thus, this study was designed to evaluate the changes in survival, antibiotic susceptibility, mutant frequency, β -lactamase activity, biofilm formation, and gene expression in Klebsiella pneumoniae after exposure to sequential antibiotic treatments of ciprofloxacin and meropenem. Treatments include control (CON; no addition), 1/2 MIC ciprofloxacin addition (1/2CIP), 2 MIC ciprofloxacin addition (2CIP), initial 1/2 MIC ciprofloxacin addition followed by 1/2 MIC meropenem (8 h-incubation) and 2 MIC ciprofloxacin (16 h-incubation) (1/2CIP-1/2MER-2CIP), initial 1/2 MIC ciprofloxacin addition followed by 1/2 MIC meropenem (8 h-incubation) and 2 MIC meropenem (16 h-incubation) (1/2CIP-1/2MER-2MER), and initial 1/2 MIC ciprofloxacin addition followed by 2 MIC ciprofloxacin(8 h-incubation) and 2 MIC meropenem(16 h-incubation) (1/2CIP-2CIP-2MER). No growth of K. pneumoniae was observed for the 2CIP throughout the incubation period. The numbers of planktonic cells varied with the treatments (7~10 log CFU/ml), while those of biofilm cells were not significantly different among treatments after 24-h incubation, showing approximately 7 log CFU/ml. Among the sequential treatments, the least mutant frequency was observed at the 1/2CIP-1/2MER-2CIP (14%). Compared to the CON, 1/2CIP-2CIP-2MER decreased the sensitivity of K. pneumoniae to piperacillin, cefotaxime, and nalidixic acid. The highest β -lactamase activity was 22 nmol/min/ml for 1/2CIP-1/2MER-2CIP, while the least β -lactamase activity was 6 nmol/min/ml for 1/2CIP-2CIP-2MER. The relative expression levels of multidrug efflux pump-related genes (acrA, acrB, and ramA) were increased more than 2-fold in K. pneumoniae exposed to 1/2CIP-1/2MER-2MER and 1/2CIP-2CIP-2MER. The results suggest that the sequential antibiotic treatments could change the antibiotic resistance profiles in K. pneumoniae.