Inhibition of hemolytic activity of Streptococcus pyogenes in mechanisms of antibacterial action of zinc ions

Abstract

Aim. The work was performed with the purpose to study a hemolytic activity in the culture of S.pyogenes under the inhibitory action of millimolar concentrations of zinc ions.Materials and methods. Suspensions of S.pyogenes bacteria which contained 108 CFU/ml were sown by the lawns into the standard Petri dishes coated with the supplemented Blood Nutrient Agar. 30 min later the salt solutions of zinc or copper which contained the metals at the concentrations ranged between 5 x 10-3 M to 5 x 10-1 M were added by the 5 μl drops on the surfaces of the lawns with use of 36-channel stamp replicator. Then the dishes with bacterial cultures were incubated for 24 hrs at 37°C followed by measuring diameter of the area of culture growth inhibition and of the area of inhibition of hemolysis. The study was performed with use of controls towards measuring the state of bacterial cells obtained from different zones of the areas.Results. In presence of the zinc ions concentrations ranged between 50 to 500 mM the area of the growth inhibition of S.pyogenes was surrounded on the lawn of the bacterial culture by the area of the inhibition of hemolysis where the growth inhibition of S.pyogenes was not registered. Copper ions did not form such an area of the hemolysis inhibition.Conclusion. Inhibitory action of zinc ions on the hemolytic S.pyogenes activity in the culture seems to be specific and reversible, and is discussed in a context of the antivirulent zinc ions properties.