Silver found to increase effectiveness of antibiotics

[natasa778]

...
In a study published Wednesday in Science Translational Medicine, researchers found that by adding trace amounts of silver to common antibiotics, the medications became up to 1,000 times more effective in fighting infections in mice.
Also, study authors said they were surprised and excited to find that the silver-antibiotic combo was able to "re-sensitize" bacteria that had developed a resistance to the drugs. It even extended the effectiveness of the commonly used antibiotic vancomycin to a class of bacteria that was previously immune to its effects.
"We went from basically no killing to substantial killing," said senior author James Collins, a professor of microbiology at Boston University.
The study is one of the first comprehensive examinations of the ways that silver affects bacteria that are known as Gram-negative. These bacteria are equipped with an extra protective membrane that prevents antibiotic drug molecules from penetrating and killing them.
In a series of experiments, Collins and colleagues from Boston University and Harvard University examined the effects of a simple solution of silver nitrate salt on Gram-negative bacteria like Escherichia coli.
What they found was that even small amounts of silver ran roughshod over some of the toughest bacteria around.
"It did two things," Collins said. The positively charged silver ions degraded the bacteria's protective layer, giving the antibiotics easier access to the pathogens' innards. It also messed with the bugs' metabolism and their ability to manage their iron levels.
The second effect led to the creation of molecules that can kill bacteria, including oxygen molecules that are prone to chemical reactions that can damage cells, Collins said.
In one experiment, researchers induced peritonitis in mice by injecting them with E. coli cells. Of the mice treated with silver and vancomycin, 90% survived.

Mice treated with just silver or just vancomycin fared much worse. Half of the mice that got silver died, along with 90% of the mice treated with antibiotics. ...

http://www.latimes.com/news/science/la-sci-antibiotics-silver-20130620,0,6215677.story

 

[*GG*]

Perhaps this is why my CFS Dr suggested that I take silver along with my Azithromycin for 3 weeks!

GG

 

[sianrecovery]

interesting, thanks for posting

 

[Jarod]

I have to admit that I looked in to this a little. There is a guy that turned blue with argyria from silver, but he was making it at home incorrectly, and using it incorrectly. There are others too who have gotten argyria.

People seem to be using it for various health issues. Antidoctal reports for wound healing without scars, foot fungus, sinus infections, etc.

It comes in at least three forms apparently. Silver suspended in protein, silver ionic, and silver colloids. Problems start to happen when the silver solution is not made correctly, or one takes the wrong form.

Don't know what type of silver they are using in the research the article describes.

 

[natasa778]

People seem to be using it for various health issues. Antidoctal reports for wound healing without scars, foot fungus, sinus infections, etc.

Not only anecdotal .... It was used a lot before antibiotics, and afterwards by some. I highly recommend The Body Electric by R Becker. Talks about docs treating otherwise untreatable infections - for example of bone tissue, where antibiotics cannot reach - with silver dressings. (that is only one tiny aspect in the book, which is fascinating for many reasons)

 

[Hip]

This is an extremely interesting finding.

The study itself is here: Silver Enhances Antibiotic Activity Against Gram-Negative Bacteria

The researchers used silver nitrate solution in combination with the antibiotics. However, silver nitrate is a risky thing to take internally: it can lead to argyria, and also to fatal methemoglobinemia.

But I wonder if colloidal silver might have a similar effect when taken with antibiotics. Colloidal silver is a pretty safe supplement to take.

Generally, colloidal silver products fall into two categories: those containing silver nano-particles (particulate silver), and those containing silver ions.ᐞ ᐞ Since the authors of this study mentioned that the positively charged silver ions degraded the bacteria's protective layer, it might be best to use a silver ion based colloidal silver product if you are going to experiment with taking colloidal silver with antibiotics.

Ionic colloidal silver solution is clear in color, whereas particulate colloidal silver solution is slightly gray in color.