ArticleBMC microbiology2022
Attenuating the virulence of the resistant superbug Staphylococcus aureus bacteria isolated from neonatal sepsis by ascorbic acid, dexamethasone, and sodium bicarbonate.
Article in BMC microbiology, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 9 papers.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
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Who cites it
9 citing papers in PubMed, 20 citations in OpenAlex.
- Disruption of Functional Membrane Microdomains Enhances Methicillin-ResistantVeterinary sciences · 2026Article
- Review
- Targeting virulence of resistant Escherichia coli by the FDA-approved drugs sitagliptin and nitazoxanide as an alternative antimicrobial approach.Folia microbiologica · 2025Article
- Review
- Bicarbonate Within: A Hidden Modulator of Antibiotic Susceptibility.Antibiotics (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Review
- Virtual Screening and Meta-Analysis Approach Identifies Factors for Inversion Stimulation (Fis) and Other Genes Responsible for Biofilm Production inCurrent issues in molecular biology · 2024Article
- Potential antivirulence and antibiofilm activities of sub-MIC of oxacillin against MDR S. aureus isolates: an in-vitro and in-vivo study.BMC microbiology · 2024Article
- The Promising Effect of Ascorbic Acid and Paracetamol as Anti-Biofilm and Anti-Virulence Agents against ResistantCurrent issues in molecular biology · 2024Article
- The Effect of Citric and Ascorbic Acids as Anti-Biofilm and Anti-Capsular Agents on Multidrug-Resistant Acinetobacter baumannii.Medical principles and practice : international journal of the Kuwait University, Health Science Centre · 2024Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
4 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundInfections affecting neonates caused by Staphylococcus aureus are widespread in healthcare facilities; hence, novel strategies are needed to fight this pathogen. In this study, we aimed to investigate the effectiveness of the FDA-approved medications ascorbic acid, dexamethasone, and sodium bicarbonate to reduce the virulence of the resistant Staphylococcus aureus bacteria that causes neonatal sepsis and seek out suitable alternatives to the problem of multi-drug resistance.
methodsTested drugs were assessed phenotypically and genotypically for their effects on virulence factors and virulence-encoding genes in Staphylococcus aureus. Furthermore, drugs were tested in vivo for their ability to reduce Staphylococcus aureus pathogenesis.
resultsSub-inhibitory concentrations (1/8 MIC) of ascorbic acid, dexamethasone, and sodium bicarbonate reduced the production of Staphylococcus aureus virulence factors, including biofilm formation, staphyloxanthin, proteases, and hemolysin production, as well as resistance to oxidative stress. At the molecular level, qRT-PCR was used to assess the relative expression levels of crtM, sigB, sarA, agrA, hla, fnbA, and icaA genes regulating virulence factors production and showed a significant reduction in the relative expression levels of all the tested genes.
conclusionsThe current findings reveal that ascorbic acid, dexamethasone, and sodium bicarbonate have strong anti-virulence effects against Staphylococcus aureus. Thus, suggesting that they might be used as adjuvants to treat infections caused by Staphylococcus aureus in combination with conventional antimicrobials or as alternative therapies.
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