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In vitro effects of N-acetyl cysteine alone and in combination with antibiotics on Prevotella intermedia

  • Microbial Physiology and Biochemistry
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Abstract

N-acetyl cysteine (NAC) is an antioxidant that possesses anti-inflammatory activities in tissues. In the field of dentistry, NAC was demonstrated to prevent the expression of LPS-induced inflammatory mediators in phagocytic cells and gingival fibroblasts during the inflammatory process, but the effect of NAC on oral pathogens has been rarely studied. Here, we examined the effect of NAC against planktonic and biofilm cells of Prevotella intermedia, a major oral pathogen. NAC showed antibacterial activity against the planktonic P. intermedia with MIC value of 3 mg/ml and significantly decreased biofilm formation by the bacterium even at sub MIC. NAC did not affect the antibiotic susceptibility of planktonic P. intermedia, showing indifference (fractional inhibitory concentration index of 0.5–4) results against the bacterium in combination with ampicillin, ciprofloxacin, tetracycline or metronidazole. On the other hand, viability of the pre-established bacterial biofilm exposed to the antibiotics except metronidazole was increased in the presence of NAC. Collectively, NAC may be used for prevention of the biofilm formation by P. intermedia rather than eradication of the pre-established bacterial biofilm. Further studies are required to explore antibacterial and anti-biofilm activity of NAC against mixed population of oral bacteria and its modulatory effect on antibiotics used for oral infectious diseases.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Maxillofacial Biomedical Engineering, School of Dentistry, and Institute of Oral Biology, Kyung Hee University, Seoul, 130-701, Korea

    Ji-Hoi Moon, Eun-Young Jang & Jin-Yong Lee

  2. Department of Life and Nanopharmaceutical Sciences, Kyung Hee University, Seoul, 130-701, Korea

    Ji-Hoi Moon

  3. Department of Dentistry, Graduate School, Kyung Hee University, Seoul, 130-701, Korea

    Eun-Young Jang & Kyu Sang Shim

  4. Department of Conservative Dentistry, School of Dentistry, Kyung Hee University, Seoul, 130-701, Korea

    Kyu Sang Shim

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  1. Ji-Hoi Moon
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Correspondence to Jin-Yong Lee.

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Moon, JH., Jang, EY., Shim, K.S. et al. In vitro effects of N-acetyl cysteine alone and in combination with antibiotics on Prevotella intermedia . J Microbiol. 53, 321–329 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12275-015-4500-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12275-015-4500-2

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