Hyperthermia as a potential factor in enhancing the effect of antibiotics

It is reported that regulating the temperature of infected areas of the patient’s body may be important for overcoming bacterial resistance to antibiotics. However, the medical standard does not specify a target temperature value for the treatment of infectious diseases with antibiotics. At the same time, it was previously shown that an increase in temperature from 37 to 42 °C improves the rheological properties of colloidal liquids, melts lipids and/or reduces the viscosity of lipid and protein-lipid complexes of human and microbial cell membranes, in accordance with the Arrhenius law, increases the rate of chemical, biochemical reactions and the intensity of the entire cellular metabolism. The fact is that such temperature-dependent changes in the structure and function of cells facilitate and accelerate the participation of antibiotics in their metabolism and enhance the bacteriostatic effect of antimicrobials. Hyperthermia has also been found to accelerate the biological clock of microorganisms, shorten their lifespan, and accelerate population change. At the same time, hyperthermia restored the bacteriostatic effect of antibiotics that was absent and/or enhanced the bacteriostatic effect that existed under conditions of normal body temperature. The results of the first in vitro experiments and the first clinical observations of acute local suppurative inflammatory processes and chronic wounds have demonstrated the safety of local hyperthermia and its ability to enhance the antimicrobial effect of antiseptics and local antibiotics. The results showed that hyperthermia can increase the bacteriostatic activity of antibiotics by improving the rheological properties of biological fluids, reducing the density of microbial membranes, and accelerating bacterial metabolism with the inclusion of antibiotics. These data indicate the potential of therapeutic hyperthermia to maintain the effectiveness of antibiotics and other antimicrobial agents in the treatment of infections by reducing the resistance of microorganisms.