Repurposing the anti-depression drug sertraline against catheter-associated urinary tract infections

Introduction: Catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTIs) account for one-third of the nosocomial infections. As drug repurposing is an excellent method to develop new antimicrobials, the present study is a trial to repurpose the anti-depression drug sertraline against two of the major CAUTI causing, biofilm forming bacteria viz., Enterococcus faecalis and Escherichia coli. Materials and Methods: Agar diffusion and microdilution methods were used in repurposing sertraline against E. faecalis and E. coli, to find out the antibacterial activity and the minimal inhibitory concentration of the drug. The anti-biofilm activity of the drug was also studied. Results: Sertraline (concentrations given within brackets) produced growth inhibition zones against E. faecalis as: 23 mm (125 μg), 24 mm (150 μg) and 26 mm (200 μg) and against E. coli as: 14 mm (125 μg), 15 mm (150 μg) and 17 mm (200 μg), respectively. Against both of the pathogens, the minimal inhibitory concentration of the drug was found to be 75 μg/ml, and at this concentration, the drug prevented the colony formation by these bacteria on polystyrene surfaces. The drug reduced the biofilms of E. faecalis and E. coli by 62% and 69%, respectively. Conclusion: When repurposed against E. faecalis and E. coli sertraline showed promising antibacterial, anti-biofilm and anti-adhesive activities, repurposing being one of the easiest ways to develop new drugs against bacterial pathogens, the authors suggest for further studies on repurposing sertraline for its clinical applications.