Targeting intracellular Staphylococcus aureus to lower recurrence of orthopaedic infection

Staphylococcus aureus is often found in orthopaedic infections and may be protected from commonly prescribed antibiotics by forming biofilms or growing intracellularly within osteoblasts. To investigate the effect of non‐antibiotic compounds in conjunction with antibiotics to clear intracellular and biofilm forming S. aureus causing osteomyelitis. SAOS‐2 osteoblast‐like cell lines were infected with S. aureus BB1279. Antibiotics (vancomycin, VAN; and dicloxacillin, DICLOX), bacterial efflux pump inhibitors (piperine, PIP; carbonyl cyanide m‐chlorophenyl hydrazone, CCCP), and bone morphogenetic protein (BMP‐2) were evaluated individually and in combination to kill intracellular bacteria. We present direct evidence that after gentamicin killed extracellular planktonic bacteria and antibiotics had been stopped, seeding from the infected osteoblasts grew as biofilms. VAN was ineffective in treating the intracellular bacteria even at 10× MIC; however in presence of PIP or CCCP the intracellular S. aureus was significantly reduced. Bacterial efflux pump inhibitors (PIP and CCCP) were effective in enhancing permeability of antibiotics within the osteoblasts and facilitated killing of intracellular S. aureus. Confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) showed increased uptake of propidium iodide within osteoblasts in presence of PIP and CCCP. BMP‐2 had no effect on growth of S. aureus either alone or in combination with antibiotics. Combined application of antibiotics and natural agents could help in the treatment of osteoblast infected intracellular bacteria and biofilms associated with osteomyelitis. © 2017 Orthopaedic Research Society. Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Orthop Res 36:1086–1092, 2018.