Of Gram-negative bacteria

Upopolysaccharides (14) are cell wall components of gram-negative bacteria. 

As shown in Figure 9.24, the outer membrane of Gram-negative bacteria is coated with a highly complex lipopolysaccharide, which consists of a lipid group (anchored in the outer membrane) joined to a polysaccharide made up of long chains with many different and characteristic repeating structures... 

The combined intrinsic activities of different efflux pumps play a major role for the intrinsic resistance of Gram-negative bacteria to macrolides and oxazolidi-nones as well as to the intrinsic resistance of Pseudomonas aeruginosa against a broad range of disinfectants and antibiotics. 

Endotoxins are the lipopolysaccharides (LPS) of the outer membrane of Gram-negative bacteria. They trigger inflammatory reactions in the infected organism, activate complement and cause fever or even a septic shock. They act on toll-like receptors. 

The outer membrane of gram-negative bacteria is a permeability barrier that allows the passive diffusion of small hydrophilic antibiotics only through aqueous channels, the porins. Drugs larger than 800 Da are... 

Fig. 1.4 Diagram showing detailed structure of the envelope of Gram-negative bacteria.

A third resistance mechanism is akin to that described for the AGAC antibiotics and chloramphenicol, whereby changes in the outer membrane porins of Gram-negative bacteria reduce the penetration of /3-lactams resulting in low levels of resistance. 

Sanders C.C. (1992) / -lactamases of Gram-negative bacteria new challenges for new drugs. Clin Infect Dis, 14, 1089-1099. 

A great deal of our current understanding of the structure and function of the outer membrane of Gram-negative bacteria has come from studies with Escherichia coli and Salmonella typhimurium. The permeability barrier function of the outer membrane can... 

Members of the genus Proteus are unusually resistant to high concentrations of ehlorhexidine and other cationic biocides and are more resistant to EDTA than most other types of Gram-negative bacteria. A less acidic type of LPS may be responsible... 

Fever is the most common manifestation. The thermoregulatory centre in the hypothalamus regulates body temperature and this can be affected by endotoxins (heat-stable lipopolysaccharides) of Gram-negative bacteria and also by a monokine secreted by monocytes and macrophages called interleukin-1 (IL-1) which is also termed endogenous pyrogen. Antibody production and T-cell proliferation have been shown to be enhanced at elevated body temperatures and thus are beneficial effects of fever. 

There have been recent studies on the importance of NO in modulating skin blood flow in both normal animals and in inflammatory models. Khan etiU. (1993), using laser-Doppler techniques, showed that the NOS inhibitor L-NAME inhibited rabbit ear blood flow. It was possible to do this chronically for up to 2 weeks using implanted osmotic pumps. Pons et id. (1993) also used laser Doppler to show that the vasodilator eflFect of LPS in rabbit skin, which mimics the efiect of Gram-negative bacteria, was likely to involve both i-NOS and IL-1. We have already discussed the damaging eflPects of neutrophils... 

C. trachomatis possesses characteristics resembling both bacteria and viruses. Its major membrane is comparable to that of gram-negative bacteria, although it lacks a peptidoglycan cell wall and requires cellular components from the host for replication. Chlamydia transmission risk is thought to be less than that of gonorrhea. 

The surface structure of gram-negative bacteria (these are not stained by Gram s method and must be stained red with carbol fuchsin) is more diversified. It consists of an outer membrane whose main building unit is a lipopolysaccharide together with phospholipids and proteins. The actual cell... 

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