Experts from the University of Queensland have found that antidepressants can make bacteria resistant to antibiotics.
Publika.az reports that the results are described in an article published in the journal “Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences” (PNAS).
Scientists conducted a series of experiments on the effect of five of the most popular antidepressants on E. coli (E. coli). Phenotypic and genotypic analyzes were used and then a computer model was created. Antidepressants have been added to bacteria that thrive in an oxygen-rich environment.
In response to this, special oxygen molecules are created that activate the defense systems of microorganisms. In addition, bacteria have been stimulated to have a system that redirects unwanted molecules, such as those found in antibacterial drugs.
The researchers concluded that antidepressants increase the number of mutations in bacteria and make them resistant to antibacterial drugs (a total of 13 antibiotics were tested). At the same time, there was a selection of resistance-related genes in pathogens, and a kind of antidepressant caused gene transfer between cells, which is another mechanism for the development of resistance.
Ayşan
#antibiotic #resistance #bacteria