Potential activity of paroxetine alone and associated with oxacillin as an alternative to prevent Staphylococcus aureus biofilm formation in catheters.

Biofilm formation, especially in medical devices, is a pertinent factor in the virulence of Staphylococcus aureus, and is known to increase morbidity, mortality, and costs. We evaluated the activity of paroxetine, a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor, alone and associated with oxacillin, a β-lactam antibacterial, against S. aureus biofilms, as well as verified its potential application as a preventive agent against biofilm formation in catheters. The tests were performed against mature and developing biofilms of methicillin-sensitive and -resistant S. aureus using the thiazolyl blue tetrazolium bromide reduction assay. The prevention of biofilm formation in catheters was investigated by counting colony-forming units, and scanning electron microscopy was also performed. Paroxetine caused a significant reduction in cell viability in biofilms, and when associated with oxacillin, significance was verified. Paroxetine alone and associated with oxacillin showed potential for preventing the formation of S. aureus biofilms in peripheral venous catheters, demonstrated by scanning electron microscopy, reaching inhibition of 94.94% in colony-forming units per mL. Paroxetine demonstrated promising potential against S. aureus biofilms in vitro, indicating the possibility of application as a protective agent against the formation of S. aureus biofilms in catheters.