Antiadhesive property of azoximer bromide on the binding of Corynebacterium diphtheriae to pharingeal cells HEP-2

Alieva A.A., Kharseeva G.G., Alutina E.L., Tyukavkina S.Y., Sylka O.I.

Rostov-on-Don State Medical University Ministry of Health of Russia, Rostov-on-Don, Russia

We have studied activity of type and biofilm (120- and 720-hour) cultures of toxigenic Corynebacterium diphtheriaе strains analyzing their adhesion to Hep-2 human pharyngeal epithelial cells. C. diphtheriaе (circulating) and C. diphtheriaе No. 665 strains were found to have the most prominent adhesive properties. Azoximer bromide (AB) addition to the culture media caused dose-dependent inhibitory effect on adhesion of both the type and biofilm cultures of all examined corynebacteriastrains. AB in 300 μg/ml and 600 μg/ml concentrations inhibited activity of corynebacteria by tens of times, and blocked it completely in the 1200 μg/ml concentration.Prolonged exposure of corynebacteria to AB (18 hours) during examination of their adhesion to Нер-2 cell culture was more effective than short (2 and 8 hours). In addition, by the 18th hour of cultivation AB had considerably less pronounced antiadhesive effect on biofilm cultures, particularly the 720-hour samples, in comparison with the type ones. Thus, AB appears to be applicable as an antiadhesive medication for therapy and nonspecific prevention of diphtheria during early stages of infection process in patients and post-exposure cases while for carriers its prescription may be less effective when a formed biofilm is already present.