Evaluation of the effect of Myristic acid and iron nanoparticles on the expression of Proteus Mirabilis pathogenic genes

Proteus is one of the most important causes of UTI and nosocomial infections. Nowadays, the focus is on the antibacterial effects of natural products. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of myristic acid and iron nanoparticles on the expression of Proteus Mirabilis pathogenic genes isolated from urine samples. In this cross-sectional study, urine samples were collected from outpatients and patients admitted to hospitals and clinics during six months. After identification of Proteus mirabilis using standard methods, these isolates were tested for antibiotic resistance. After identification of the target gene bacteria, iron nanoparticles and myristic acid were treated and the expression of flaA and ureA genes in these bacteria were evaluated. Finally, 6219 positive urine samples were collected from which 3937 (63.3%) were female and 2282 (36.7%) were male (mean age 16 69 69 years). Sixty Proteus mirabilis strains were isolated. Out of 60 clinical samples, flaA gene was present in 100% and UreA gene in 91.65% of isolated bacteria. The results showed that the expression level of flaA gene in isolates treated with mixture of myristic acid and iron nanoparticles decreased by one quarter of normal in isolates (p = 0.002). The data showed that iron oxide and meristic acid nanoparticles have strong antibacterial activity against Proteus mirabilis strains with flaA gene. In addition, these compounds decreased flagellin gene expression, which may indicate regulatory systems responsive to external signals. Therefore, these two substances can be considered as grounds for further studies on infection control.