A Microfluidic Channel Method for Rapid Drug-Susceptibility Testing of Pseudomonas aeruginosa

PLoS One. 2016 Feb 12;11(2):e0148797. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0148797. eCollection 2016.

Abstract

The recent global increase in the prevalence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria and lack of development of new therapeutic agents emphasize the importance of selecting appropriate antimicrobials for the treatment of infections. However, to date, the development of completely accelerated drug susceptibility testing methods has not been achieved despite the availability of a rapid identification method. We proposed an innovative rapid method for drug susceptibility testing for Pseudomonas aeruginosa that provides results within 3 h. The drug susceptibility testing microfluidic (DSTM) device was prepared using soft lithography. It consisted of five sets of four microfluidic channels sharing one inlet slot, and the four channels are gathered in a small area, permitting simultaneous microscopic observation. Antimicrobials were pre-introduced into each channel and dried before use. Bacterial suspensions in cation-adjusted Mueller-Hinton broth were introduced from the inlet slot and incubated for 3 h. Susceptibilities were microscopically evaluated on the basis of differences in cell numbers and shapes between drug-treated and control cells, using dedicated software. The results of 101 clinically isolated strains of P. aeruginosa obtained using the DSTM method strongly correlated with results obtained using the ordinary microbroth dilution method. Ciprofloxacin, meropenem, ceftazidime, and piperacillin caused elongation in susceptible cells, while meropenem also induced spheroplast and bulge formation. Morphological observation could alternatively be used to determine the susceptibility of P. aeruginosa to these drugs, although amikacin had little effect on cell shape. The rapid determination of bacterial drug susceptibility using the DSTM method could also be applicable to other pathogenic species, and it could easily be introduced into clinical laboratories without the need for expensive instrumentation.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Amikacin / pharmacology
  • Anti-Bacterial Agents / pharmacology*
  • Ceftazidime / pharmacology
  • Ciprofloxacin / pharmacology
  • Drug Resistance, Multiple, Bacterial
  • Escherichia coli / drug effects
  • Lab-On-A-Chip Devices*
  • Meropenem
  • Microbial Sensitivity Tests / methods
  • Piperacillin / pharmacology
  • Pseudomonas aeruginosa / drug effects*
  • Pseudomonas aeruginosa / growth & development
  • Thienamycins / pharmacology

Substances

  • Anti-Bacterial Agents
  • Thienamycins
  • Ciprofloxacin
  • Amikacin
  • Ceftazidime
  • Meropenem
  • Piperacillin

Grants and funding

This study was supported by Grants-in-Aid from the Japanese Society for the Promotion of Science, the Center of Innovation Program from Japan Science and Technology Agency, the Grant AS242Z01738P (YM) and AS2531229P (YM) from Adaptable and Seamless Technology Transfer Program through target-driven R&D (JST), the Grant LS080 (KN) (NEXT Program) from the Cabinet Office, Government of Japan, and the Grant Project ID 07-03 (AY) Promotion of Fundamental Studies in Health Sciences of the National Institute of Biomedical Innovation from the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, and the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology of Japan. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.