strains 1397 and 2002 reduced their survival rate only by

0.2 log10 units. On the contrary, independent of the methicillin-resistance status we observed strains highly susceptible to PpIX-based photokilling, eg. strains 472, 80/0 and 2288, which reduced their survival rate by 3.4 log10 units, 2.4 log10 units and 2.5 log10 units, respectively. One-way analysis of variance test of the survival of the studied clinical isolates (at 50 μM PpIX concentration) showed statistically significant differences (F = 88,3 p < 0.05). Based on the Tukey post-hoc test, a decrease in the survival of the 4246 strain did not differ from the strains 7259, 2002 and 1397, and further those strains were classified as one group. This group was considered by us as PDI-resistant with the survival decrease not exceeding 1.5 log10 units. The next four bacterial isolates Selleck HDAC inhibitor (5491, 2288, 80/0, 472) were recognized as PDI-sensitive

with the survival decrease of more than 1.5 log10 units. It is believed that the effectiveness of PDI depends on the ability GANT61 mw of cells to uptake the photosensitizer. We checked whether there are any differences among S. aureus strains in PpIX uptake into the cell. Protoporphirin IX uptake in the tested strains did not show much differentiation. It is worth mentioning, however, that in the case of the most PDI-vulnerable 472 strain, PpIX uptake value was 47.4 μg/mg and on the contrary, only 7.3 μg/mg in the case of the most resistant 1397 strain. We observed no apparent correlation between PS uptake and PDI effectiveness. In the case of RN6390 and its isogenic sod mutants the uptake was very balanced and ranged between 13.1 and 16.2 μg/mg for the wild type and the mutants (Figure 4). Figure 3 Protoporphyrin IX-mediated PDI against clinical strains. The bacterial suspensions were illuminated after dark

incubation for 30 min. at 37°C with different concentrations of PpIX (up to 50 μM). PDI Tacrolimus (FK506) was tested against clinical S. aureus strains: MRSA, MSSA. Bacteria were illuminated with 12 J/cm2 624 ± 18 nm light, and survival fractions were determined as ABT-888 solubility dmso described in Methods. Values are means of three separate experiments, and bars are SD. Figure 4 Uptake of PpIX in the reference and clinical isolates of Staphylococcus aureus. Uptake of PpIX (μg/mg cell protein) by S. aureus clinical isolates and reference strains. Beneath, the names clinical strains, the name of the parental strain and its sod isogenic mutants are indicated. Concentration of PS was 10 μM and 50 μM. PS was incubated for 30 min., washed, dissolved in 0.1 M NaOH-1% SDS, and fluorescence measured as described in the text. Values are means of three separate determinations, and bars are SD. Sod activity increases after PDI In order to assess the amount of Sod activity in strain-dependent response to PpIX-based photodynamic treatment, we measured total Sod activity in S. aureus isolates before and after PDI treatment.