Antibiotic-induced Release of Lipopolysaccharide from Escherichia Coli

According to WHO, sepsis is one of the most significant threats to global health. Antibiotic-induced release of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) from the outer membrane of Gram-negative bacteria contributes to the high mortality rate of sepsis. Furthermore, the quantity of LPS released may depend on the class of antibiotics. This study examined the amount of LPS released by exposing E. coli to twelve antibiotics from eight different classes. The results showed that chloramphenicol, spectinomycin, tetracycline, and zeocin gave higher values of released LPS than the untreated solution, indicating that they should be used with caution when treating sepsis. The study showed no clear linkage between antibiotics’ general mechanism of action and the amount of LPS released from E. coli.