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Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy, September 2000, p. 2507-2513, Vol. 44, No. 9
0066-4804/00/$04.00+0
Copyright © 2000, American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.

Bactericidal Activity of Micromolar N-Chlorotaurine: Evidence for Its Antimicrobial Function in the Human Defense System

Markus Nagl,1,* Michael W. Hess,2,3 Kristian Pfaller,2 Paul Hengster,4 and Waldemar Gottardi1

Institute of Hygiene and Social Medicine1 and Institute of Anatomy and Histology,2 Leopold-Franzens-University of Innsbruck, A-6010 Innsbruck, and Department of Transplant Surgery, Innsbruck University Hospital, A-6020 Innsbruck,4 Austria, and Institute of Biotechnology, University of Helsinki, FIN 00014, Finland3

Received 4 February 2000/Returned for modification 14 April 2000/Accepted 19 June 2000

N-Chlorotaurine, the main representative of long-lived oxidants found in the supernatant of stimulated granulocytes, has been investigated systematically with regard to its antibacterial activity at different physiological concentrations for the first time. N-Chlorotaurine (12.5 to 50 µM) demonstrated a bactericidal effect i.e., a 2 to 4 log10 reduction in viable counts, after incubation at 37°C for 6 to 9 h at pH 7.0, which effect was significantly enhanced in an acidic milieu (at pH 5.0), with a 3 to 4 log10 reduction after 2 to 3 h. Moreover, bacteria were attenuated after being incubated in N-chlorotaurine for a sublethal time, as demonstrated with the mouse peritonitis model. The supernatant of stimulated granulocytes exhibited similar activity. Transmission electron microscopy revealed changes in the bacterial cell membrane and cytoplasmic disintegration with both reacting systems, even in the case of a mere attenuation. The results of this study suggest a significant bactericidal function of N-chlorotaurine and other chloramines during inflammation.

* Corresponding author. Mailing address: Institute of Hygiene and Social Medicine, Leopold-Franzens-University of Innsbruck, Fritz-Pregl-Str. 3, A-6010 Innsbruck, Austria. Phone: 43 512 507-3430. Fax: 43 512 507-2870. E-mail: m.nagl{at}uibk.ac.at.

Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy, September 2000, p. 2507-2513, Vol. 44, No. 9
0066-4804/00/$04.00+0
Copyright © 2000, American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.


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