Diclofenac May Induce PIA-Independent Biofilm Formation in Staphylococcus aureus Strains

Abstract

Staphylococcus aureus is a pathogen commonly resistant to antibiotics. Biofilm formation is one of the important factors related to its virulence. Non-antibiotics drugs, such as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory agents (NSAIDs), have been studied as an alternative for treating infections by multiresistant pathogens and biofilm-associated infections. In this study, the effects of NSAID sodium diclofenac on growth inhibition and biofilm formation of S. aureus were evaluated. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of diclofenac for fifty isolates ranged from 200 to 400 μg/mL. Diclofenac sub-MICs induced biofilm in 32.3% of biofilm-negative strains in tryptic soy broth. All biofilms induced by the drug showed a PIA- (polysaccharide intercellular adhesion-) independent composition, and the scanning electron microscopy showed that the induced biofilm presented a very discrete matrix. The combination of diclofenac with rifampicin sub-MICs induced strong production of PIA-dependent biofilm in three of four strains, while combination of NSAID with NaCl induced the formation of partially polysaccharide biofilm in two strains and PIA-independent biofilm in another strain. The combination of NSAID with glucose resulted in PIA-independent biofilms in all four strains tested. The results showed that diclofenac can commonly induce biofilm production by a PIA-independent pathway. However, when this NSAID is combined with other types of inducing agents, the composition of the biofilm produced may vary.