Photodynamic effects of antioxidant substituted porphyrin photosensitizers on gram-positive and -negative bacterial.

Photodynamic treatment of the gram-negative bacteria Escherichia coli B and Acinetobacter baumannii and the gram-positive bacterium Staphylococcus aureus was performed using two newly devised and synthesized antioxidant carrier photosensitizers (antioxidant carrier sensitizers-2 [ACS-2] and antioxidant carrier sensitizers-3 [ACS-3]), which are butyl hydroxy toluene and propyl gallate substituted haematoporphyrins, respectively. It was found that ACS-2 is less reactive than other photosensitizers previously used for the same purpose, whereas ACS-3 is very effective against the multidrug-resistant bacterium A. baumannii, causing its complete eradication at a low fluence (approximately 7.5 J/cm2) of blue light (407-420 nm) and a low concentration (10 microM). At a higher fluence (approximately 37.5 J/cm2) complete eradication of E. coli B can be obtained under the same conditions. Furthermore, X-ray microanalysis and ultrastructural changes indicate that ACS-3, especially in the case of photodynamic treatment of A. baumannii, interferes with membrane functions and causes the inactivation of the bacterium. ACS-3 may be suggested as a specific photosensitization agent for photoinactivation of gram-negative bacteria.