Growth in the Presence of Salicylate Increases Fluoroquinolone Resistance in Staphylococcus aureus

Salicylate and acetylsalicylate slightly increased fluoroquinolone resistance in ciprofloxacin-susceptible and -resistant Staphylococcus aureus. Salicylate allowed a greater number of cells from ciprofloxacin-susceptible and -resistant strains to survive on high fluoroquinolone concentrations. Salicylate also increased the frequency with which a susceptible strain mutated to become more resistant to ciprofloxacin.