Studies on the Antibacterial Action of Spermine

Abstract

S U M M A R Y :Spermine was found t o inhibit the growth of various micro-organisms. The most susceptible were Staphylococcus aureus and Staph. albus, NeisseTia gonorrhoeae and N . meningitidis, and to a lesser degree Bacillus anthracis. The Enterobacteriaceae were relatively resistant. The action of spermine was enhanced by an increase in pH of the medium. The antibacterial effect was bactericidal ; it was slowed but not prevented by a decrease in temperature from 37 to 6'.

A Resistance Determinant to Nucleic Acid-Binding Compounds in Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus

“…This common property of binding to nucleic acids has prompted us to refer to the determinant encoding resistance to these compounds as the NAB (nucleic acid-binding compounds)-resistance determinant. The antibacterial action of human semen has been attributed, at least in part, to the naturally occurring polyamines, spermine and spermidine (Razin and Rozansky, 1957) and the inhibitory action of these compounds on gram-positive cocci has been well documented (Rozansky et al, 1954;Fair and Wehner, 1971;Bachrach, 1973). The NAB-resistance determinant did not confer an increased resistance to spermine hydrochloride or spermidine tri-hydrochloride.…”

Factors Influencing the Antibacterial Action of Spermine and Spermidine on Staphylococcus aureus

“…The technique described previously was used (Rozansky, Bachrach & Grossowicz, 1954). Spermine tetrahydrochloride and spermidine phosphate (HoffmanLa Roche Inc.) were used.…”

“…being inhibitory in the sera of man, guinea-pig and rabbit, while c. 10 times this amount of spermine was necessary to inhibit growth in sheep and bovine sera. Action of spermine on staphylococci suspended in bufler While some antibacterial agents affect multiplying organisms only, spermine and spermidine have been shown to be bactericidal at 37" and at 6" (Rozansky, Bachrach & Grossowicz, 1954;Rozansky, Razin & Grossowicz, 1954). This killing effect was tested on organisms suspended in a nutrient medium in which even a t 6" metabolic activities might still proceed to some extent.…”

“…The antibacterial action of spermine and spermidine was described previously (Gurevitch, Rozansky, Weber, Brzezinsky & Eckerling, 1951 ;Rozansky, Bachrach & Grossowicz, 1954; Rozansky, Razin & Grossowicz, 1954) ; Hirsch & Dubos (1952) studied the antimycobacterial effect of these substances. According to Hirsch (1953 a, b ) spermine itself was not antimycobacterial but a derivative of it, obtained by the action of an oxidase present in sheep and bovine sera, was the active agent.…”

The Effect of Spermidine and Spermine on Proliferation in Vitro of Fibroblasts from Normal and Cystic Fibrosis Patients

“…been recognized ;or their growth-stimulating prdperties (9,'16, 32, 36). However, polyamines have been shown to exhibit cytotoxic effects, specifically upon the tubercle bacillus (19), bacteria (31), and cultured eukaryotic cells including K B cells (17), hamster fibroblasts and mouse embryo cells (26), Ehrlich ascites cells (6), P-1534 and L-1210 mammalian cells (4), and Walker carcinosarcoma cells (13). These studies, along with others which correlate polyamine content with cellular proliferative activity (1 1, 20, 33), suggest a significant role for polyamines in growth regulation.…”