Non-antibiotic drugs also speed up the spread of antibiotic resistance

New research from The University of Queensland has found non-antibiotic pharmaceuticals can significantly promote the spread of antibiotic resistance via bacterial mating. A study led by Dr Jianhua Guo from UQ's Advanced Water Management Centre said while antibiotics were known to promote antibiotic resistance, it wasn't known if non-antibiotic pharmaceuticals could also increase bacterial conjugation. "Bacterial conjugation is the exchange of genetic material between bacterial cells by direct cell-to-cell contact or by a bridge-like connection between two cells," he said. "It's believed bacterial conjugation, or bacterial mating, is one of the major pathways to the spread of antibiotic-resistant genes. "Recently, we started wondering if non-antibiotic pharmaceuticals such as carbamazepine - a prescription drug used to treat epilepsy and neuropathic pain - can accelerate the transmission of antibiotic resistance through bacterial conjugation." More than 1,000 tons of carbamazepine is consumed worldwide each year. It can accumulate and remain in various environments for years because of its resistance to biodegradation. UQ PhD student Yue Wang said the research found carbamazepine significantly enhanced the bacterial conjugation not only within the same bacterial species, but also across bacterial genera.