Antibiotic resistance is a huge problem in the healthcare industry currently, with millions of people affected every year. Most of the focus on fixing this growing problem has centered around limiting the overuse or misuse of antibiotics in the healthcare industry. However, new research from the University of Queensland reveals that the issue is much more complex than that. Research led by Dr. Jianhua Guo has discovered that the commonly prescribed medication fluoxetine (commonly known as Prozac) can also contribute to antibiotic resistance. A particular species of E. coli exposed to fluoxetine in this study showed multi-antibiotic resistance through something known as ROS-mediated mutagenesis. Basically, the fluoxetine activated efflux pumps that the bacteria naturally use to remove toxic materials (including antibiotics), and this increased activation made the pumps more efficient or "better" at removing the toxic materials over time.
The results of this study add another complex element to the already challenging task of limiting the spread of antibiotic resistance, and more research must be done to determine if there are other previously unexplored factors contributing to this resistance. With all of this being said, this study and this blog post are not suggesting that anyone taking fluoxetine should stop taking their medication. It's just giving a glimpse of how complex the fight against antibiotic resistance really is.
That's interesting that some medications can have an affect on antibiotics. Makes you wonder if there are other types of causes that can decrease the effectiveness of antibiotics. I read this paper that indicates increase in temperature can also increase antibiotic resistance. The researchers found that an increase in temperature by 10 C as well as population growth in certain parts of the country can increase antibiotic resistance for common bacteria like e. coli, k. pneumonae, and s. aureus (MacFadden et al., 2018). That being said, the place where you live can potentially affect the way we infection is treated.
ReplyDeletehttps://www.nature.com/articles/s41558-018-0161-6