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Abstract Inhibition of Antibiotic Resistant Bacteria by Frequency-specific

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Title: Pulsed Electrical Fields

Author H. AHERN1, M. Browne1, S. Foley1, A. Holland2;

Block: 1SUNY Adirondack, QUEENSBURY, NY, 2Skidmore Coll.,
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Saratoga Springs, NY.

Presentation 2175
Number:
No

Poster 2175
Board
Number:

Keywords: Antibacterial effect,pulsed electrical fields

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Abstract: Background: Antibiotic-resistant bacteria have emerged as a

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significant medical problem, prompting research into alternative

strategies for destruction. Pseudomonas aeruginosa and
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methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) are two

bacterial pathogens with well characterized mechanisms of
resistance, including biofilm formation, efflux pumps, and
antibiotic-degrading enzymes. Several studies have shown that
exposure to electrical fields inhibits the growth of planktonic and
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biofilm bacteria and enhances the efficacy of antibiotics.

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Broadcasting pulsed frequency-specific electric fields from a
plasma antenna is a potential treatment modality for treatment
of infections caused by antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Methods:

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Cultures of Pseudomonas aeruginosa and MRSA
(Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 43300) were evaluated for
antibiotic susceptibility and minimal inhibitory concentration
using standard techniques. Broth cultures of both bacteria were

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prepared with and without antibiotic at a concentration 10 times

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less than the MIC. After an initial 2 hour incubation period,
frequency-specific electric fields were generated and broadcast
from a plasma-filled glass tube, exposing bacteria maintained at
a constant temperature at a distance of less than 2 feet. Growth
rates of exposed and non-exposed cultures were determined

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over several hours by spectrophotometric measurement of
absorbance and viable cell counts on plate medium during the
growth period. Results: Growth rates of both Ps. aeruginosa
and MRSA were inhibited to a significant extent during the
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period that the cultures were exposed to the pulsed electric
field. A synergistic lethal effect was observed when the bacteria
were exposed to PEF in the presence of sub-optimal
concentrations of antibiotic. Conclusion: A bacteriostatic effect
was observed when bacteria were exposed to a frequency-
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specific pulsed electric field, resulting in a significant decrease in

the growth rate of the bacterial cultures. Addition of antibiotics
at a concentration below the established MIC was bacteriocidal
to the bacteria. These effects were not due to thermal stress
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induced by the electric fields.

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