Therapeutic Induction of Endogenous Antibiotics

Summary

Shigellosis is one of the major causes of morbidity and mortality in many developing countries. The continued emergence of antibiotic resistant strains has complicated the treatment of shigellosis and has increased the cost of treatment markedly. Antimicrobial peptides are considered as endogenous antibiotic. A mixture of these antimicrobial peptides (LL-37 and beta-defensin) drenches the mucosal epithelial surfaces forming a barrier for invading microorganisms. Recently, we found that Shigella down-regulates the expression of LL-37 and beta-defensin 1 (HBD-1) in the colon of patients during acute shigellosis thereby facilitating bacterial invasion. Both LL-37 and HBD-1 could inhibit the growth of various microbes e.g. S. dysenteriae type 1, S. flexneri, and S. boydii. Our study indicated that bacterial DNA might be a potential mediator for the down- regulation in vitro. Down-regulation of LL-37 and HBD-1 was also seen in watery diarrhea caused by other pathogens. Thus, bacteria-mediated down-regulation of our front line defenses could be one strategy evolved by the pathogens to subvert this host-defense mechanism. gene encoding LL-37 in cultured epithelial cell lines were up-regulated when treated with butyrate; butyrate decreased the severity of Shigella infections in rabbit model. We could reproduce our findings from human i.e. downregulation of CAP-18 (the rabbit homologue to human LL-37) in colon epithelia after infection with Shigella flexneri. CAP-18 reappeared after treatment of the infected rabbits with sodium butyrate. Thus, the rabbit model demonstrated the proof of principal. In this study, we aim to assess the efficacy of sodium butyrate enema in reduction of clinical symptoms and / severity, reduction of inflammatory responses and induction of endogenous antibiotic activity in the rectum in adult patients with shigellosis.

Conditions

• Shigellosis

Interventions

BIOLOGICAL

Sodium Butyrate

Patients will be instructed to lie on a bed (cholera cot) in left lateral position. A soft rectal catheter will be introduced by a nurse/physician, through which 80 ml of butyrate solution will be instilled slowly with a 50 ml plastic syringe. Patients will be asked to retain the enema for at least ½ hour by remaining supine for 30 minutes after the administration. However, if a patient cannot retain the enema for 30 minutes, he will be given a second round of enema immediately after defecation.

BIOLOGICAL

Saline

Patients will be instructed to lie on a bed (cholera cot) in left lateral position. A soft rectal catheter will be introduced by a nurse/physician, through which 80 ml of saline solution will be instilled slowly with a 50 ml plastic syringe. Patients will be asked to retain the enema for at least ½ hour by remaining supine for 30 minutes after the administration. However, if a patient cannot retain the enema for 30 minutes, he will be given a second round of enema immediately after defecation.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA)

  collaborator OTHER_GOV

• Karolinska Institutet

  collaborator OTHER

• International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh

  lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

• Rubhana Raqib, Ph.D. · International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

BASIC_SCIENCE

Masking

QUADRUPLE

Model

PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age

18 Years

Max Age

55 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2005-01-31

Primary Completion

2008-12-31

Completion

2009-01-31

Countries

• Bangladesh

Study Locations