Trospectomycin enhances surface phagocytosis of Bacteroides and Staphylococcus by altering the bacterial glycocalyx.

The influence of trospectomycin on phagocytosis of Bacteriodes thetaiotaomicron, Bacteroides fragilis and Staphylococcus epidermidis was studied in the presence or absence of glycocalyx isolated from these microorganisms. Bacteria were grown with or without 0.25 or 0.5 of the minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) of trospectomycin, a new chemically synthesized analog of spectinomycin. Surface phagocytosis by human polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMNL) was determined using a modified fluorochrome assay. Subinhibitory concentrations of trospectomycin significantly enhanced surface phagocytosis of Bacteroides and Staphylococcus. When homologous or heterologous isolated glycocalyx was added to trospectomycin treated bacteria prior to incubation with PMNL, phagocytosis was reduced to levels observed in the untreated bacteria. Addition of glycocalyx to untreated strains produced no significant reduction of phagocytosis. The glycocalyx preparations were free of lipopolysaccharide and did not affect PMNL viability.