Could a slight increase in body temperature influence antibiotic resistance? This is the intriguing question an international team of researchers sought to answer. Their laboratory experiments reveal surprising results that could change our approach to combating antimicrobial resistance.
Scientists from the Universities of Groningen, Montpellier, and Oldenburg observed how a fever can modify the mutation rate of E. coli bacteria. By raising the temperature from 98.6 to 104 degrees Fahrenheit (37 to 40 degrees Celsius), they noted a significant increase in the frequency of mutations that favor antibiotic resistance.
If these results are confirmed in human patients, fever management could become a new method to reduce the emergence of antibiotic resistance. Published in
JAC-Antimicrobial Resistance, the study proposes an innovative approach by combining antibiotics and body temperature regulation to tackle this global issue.
Specifically, the mutation rate of bacteria in relation to temperature was studied by the team, which included Timo van Eldijk and Eleanor Sheridan. They exposed E. coli cultures to 98.6 and 104 degrees Fahrenheit (37 and 40 degrees Celsius), then to three different antibiotics: ciprofloxacin, rifampicin, and ampicillin. The results showed that mutations toward resistance increased with temperature for the first two antibiotics but decreased for ampicillin.
This difference observed with ampicillin was validated through repeated experiments in several laboratories. The researchers believe that the efficacy of ampicillin is particularly temperature-dependent, which would explain these results.
Colonies of E. coli bacteria on an agar plate containing ciprofloxacin.
On the left, resistant mutants from a population cultivated at 98.6°F (normal body temperature).
On the right, resistant mutants from a population cultivated at 104°F (fever temperature).
Credit: Eleanor Sheridan / University of Groningen.
The team concludes that temperature changes can have a major impact on the development of antimicrobial resistance. These discoveries could guide new therapeutic strategies combining fever control and suitable antibiotic choices.