Lack of inhibition of adhesion of an enteropathogenic Escherichia coli by polycarbophil.

Anionic polyacrylic acid polymers, such as polycarbophil, have a number of properties that would make them suitable carriers for sustained antibiotic release formulations in the intestinal tract. However, little is known with regards to possible microbial adhesion to polycarbophil. The aim of this study was to evaluate for such an interaction using the rabbit enteric pathogen Escherichia coli RDEC-1 (serotype O15:H-). RDEC-1 mediates attaching and effacing binding to intestinal epithelium in a manner morphologically identical to that observed in both human enteropathogenic E. coli and enterohemorrhagic E. coli infections. RDEC-1 bacteria were grown to promote the expression of the mannose-resistant AF/R1 adhesion pili. A nonpiliated mutant, strain M34, was used as a negative control. Using radioactive labeling of bacteria, we quantitated adhesion of piliated RDEC-1 in the presence of polycarbophil using an in vitro adhesion assay system. Binding of piliated RDEC-1 in the adhesion assay was greater than for nonpiliated M34 for all concentrations of bacteria greater than 10(9) (P < .05). Polycarbophil did not cause concentration-dependent inhibition of piliated RDEC-1 binding (P > .05). We conclude polycarbophil does not interfere with the AF/R1 adhesin ligand of RDEC-1. Use of this polymer as a mucoadhesive drug delivery vehicle for nonabsorbable antibiotics in the treatment of gastrointestinal infections would not be expected to interfere with the protective effects of intestinal mucins.