Staphylococcus aureus
causes various diseases including skin and soft tissue infections, pneumonia, gastroenteritis, and sepsis. Antibiotic-resistant
S. aureus
such as methicillin-resistant
S. aureus
(MRSA) and multidrug-resistant
S. aureus
is a serious threat in healthcare-associated settings and in the communities. In this study, we investigated the effects of short-chain fatty acids, metabolites produced by commensal bacteria, on the growth of
S. aureus
both
in vitro
and
in vivo
. Sodium propionate (NaP) most potently inhibited the growth of MRSA and multidrug-resistant clinical isolates. Of note, only NaP, but not sodium acetate (NaA) or sodium butyrate (NaB), ameliorated MRSA skin infection, significantly lowering bacterial load, excessive cytokine production, and the size and weight of abscesses approximately by twofold. In addition, interestingly,
S. aureus
deficient of lipoteichoic acids (LTA) or wall teichoic acids (WTA), which are important in bacterial physiology and antimicrobial susceptibility, was more susceptible to NaP than the wild-type. Furthermore,
S. aureus
deficient of
D
-alanine motifs common in LTA and WTA was more susceptible to NaP, its growth being almost completely inhibited. Concordantly, MRSA treated with an inhibitor of
D
-alanylation on LTA and WTA was more susceptible to NaP, and co-treatment of NaP and a
D
-alanylation inhibitor further decreased the pathology of MRSA skin infection. Collectively, these results demonstrate that NaP ameliorates MRSA skin infection by attenuating the growth of
S. aureus
, and suggest an alternative combination treatment strategy against
S. aureus
infection.
Candida albicans (C. albicans) is the fungus most frequently isolated from endodontic root canal infections. Although recognized by dental pulp and periradicular tissue cells that elicit immune responses, it eludes host defenses and elicits cell death. Then, C. albicans binds tooth dentin, forms biofilms, and invades dentinal tubules to resist intracanal disinfectants and endodontic treatments. Insensitive to most common medicaments, it survives sequestered within biofilms and intratubular dentin. Thus, C. albicans has been associated with cases of persistent or refractory root canal infections. Its treatment strategies may require alternative intracanal irrigants, intracanal medicaments such as chlorhexidine gel or human beta defensin-3 (HBD3), Ca-Si-based obturating materials, and microsurgical procedures.
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