Molecules, Vol. 24, Pages 3318: Molecular Mechanisms of Leonurus Cardiaca L. Extract Activity in Prevention of Staphylococcal Endocarditis —Study on in Vitro and ex Vivo Models

Molecules, Vol. 24, Pages 3318: Molecular Mechanisms of Leonurus Cardiaca L. Extract Activity in Prevention of Staphylococcal Endocarditis—Study on in Vitro and ex Vivo Models Molecules doi: 10.3390/molecules24183318 Authors: Beata Sadowska Dariusz Laskowski Przemysław Bernat Bartłomiej Micota Marzena Więckowska-Szakiel Anna Podsędek Barbara Różalska Better understanding the mechanisms of Leonurus cardiaca L. extract (LCE) activity is necessary to prepare recommendations for the use of LCE-based herbal products for preventive/supportive purposes in case of infective endocarditis (IE) and other staphylococcal invasive infections. The aim of the study was to analyze molecular mechanisms of LCE effect on Staphylococcus aureus and blood platelets in the context of their interactions playing a pivotal role in such disorders. Using atomic force microscopy, we demonstrated that adhesion forces of S. aureus were markedly reduced after exposure to LCE at subinhibitory concentrations. The effect resulted from the impact of LCE on S. aureus cell morphology and the composition of phospholipids and fatty acids in bacterial membranes (assessed by HPLC), which modulated their stabilization, hydrophobicity, and charge. Moreover, using FACS we showed also that LCE significantly reduced GP IIb/IIIa expression on blood platelets, thus the disruption of platelet-fibrinogen interactions seems to explain antiplatelet effect of LCE. The obtained results prove the usefuln...
Source: Molecules - Category: Chemistry Authors: Tags: Article Source Type: research