Signaling through the envelope stress-response two-component system was demonstrated to be a key player. This signaling pathway was found for β-lactams and quinolones, which trigger hydroxyl selleck kinase inhibitor radical formation by perturbation of the respiratory metabolism, with a subsequent increase of superoxide anion and release of ferrous iron (Kohanski et al., 2008). Generation of ROS can result in damage to the DNA, proteins and lipids. Related to this, we have previously shown that some antibiotics stimulate the production of ROS in different bacterial species (Albesa et al., 2004), such as Staphylococcus aureus treated with ciprofloxacin (Becerra

& Albesa, 2002; Becerra et al., 2006). Antioxidant systems prevent the uncontrolled formation of free radicals, and inhibit ROS

and its reaction with biological structures. Increases in ROS, such as those that may occur during periods of oxidative stress, can be counteracted by regulatory molecules of the cell redox state, which trigger a homeostatic response to prevent cell injury. Antioxidant molecules, for example reduced glutathione, act against several oxidant compounds, such as hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), superoxide anion (O2−), hydroxyl radical (OH•) and reactive species of carbon. The small molecular reductants glutathione and cysteine can reduce a wide range of oxidized proteins, and protect against direct and selleck chemical indirect oxidation of lipid membranes and proteins as an adaptive response to increased basal oxidative damage caused by O2−. Glutathione can also be oxidized spontaneously in the presence of ROS and thus neutralize them by its antioxidant capacity. Furthermore, glutathione protects cells from the effects of the free radicals generated during metabolism and is considered to be a biological marker of the levels of antioxidant activity (Manfredini et al., 2005; Cexiong et al., 2009). The aim of this work was to study whether the presence of exogenous glutathione can modify

the susceptibility of S. aureus to different antibiotics, and to investigate any correlation with Aldol condensation the oxidative stress. The effect of exogenous glutathione on the inhibitory activity of ciprofloxacin, chloramphenicol and gentamicin was investigated in S. aureus ATCC 29213 and in clinical strain S. aureus 22, which were provided by Hospital Tránsito Cáceres de Allende (Buchardo 1250, Córdoba). The determination of the MIC for ciprofloxacin, gentamicin and chloramphenicol was performed using the broth macrodilution test, according to the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI, 2006). To assess the activity of each antibiotic in the presence of glutathione, the bacterial suspension was incubated for 18 h at 35 °C with or without 10 mM glutathione, and with different concentrations of antibiotic. The lowest concentration of antimicrobial that prevented bacterial growth after 18 h of incubation was the MIC, both in the presence or in the absence of glutathione. For the NBT reaction, 0.1 mL bacterial suspension (OD600 nm 1.