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Antidepressants contribute to bacterial antibiotic resistance - Experts
Antidepressants, according to University of Queensland researchers, can make bacteria resistant to antibiotics. The findings have been published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).
The researchers conducted a series of tests on the effects of five of the most commonly used antidepressants on E. coli (E. coli). A computer model was created after phenotypic and genotypic analyses. Bacteria multiplying in an oxygen-rich environment were given antidepressants. As a result, the microorganisms produced specific oxygen molecules, activating their defence systems. Furthermore, the bacteria were encouraged to develop a system for diverting molecules that they did not want, such as those found in antibacterial drugs.
Antidepressants, according to the researchers, increase the number of mutations in bacteria, making them resistant to antibacterial drugs (13 antibiotics were tested in total). Simultaneously, resistance-related genes in pathogens were selected, and one type of antidepressant caused gene transfer between cells, which is another mechanism of resistance development.