ascorbic-acid and mycothiol

Drugs that kill tuberculosis more quickly could shorten chemotherapy significantly. In Escherichia coli, a common mechanism of cell death by bactericidal antibiotics involves the generation of highly reactive hydroxyl radicals via the Fenton reaction. Here we show that vitamin C, a compound known to drive the Fenton reaction, sterilizes cultures of drug-susceptible and drug-resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the causative agent of tuberculosis. While M. tuberculosis is highly susceptible to killing by vitamin C, other Gram-positive and Gram-negative pathogens are not. The bactericidal activity of vitamin C against M. tuberculosis is dependent on high ferrous ion levels and reactive oxygen species production, and causes a pleiotropic effect affecting several biological processes. This study enlightens the possible benefits of adding vitamin C to an anti-tuberculosis regimen and suggests that the development of drugs that generate high oxidative burst could be of great use in tuberculosis treatment.

Topics: Antitubercular Agents; Ascorbic Acid; Cysteine; DNA Damage; Drug Resistance, Bacterial; Glycopeptides; Hydrogen Peroxide; Inositol; Iron; Lipids; Microbial Sensitivity Tests; Microbial Viability; Models, Biological; Mycobacterium tuberculosis; Oxidants; Reactive Oxygen Species; Sterilization; Transcription, Genetic