Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-hc48f Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-22T16:11:31.311Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Effect of penicillin and chloramphenicol on the growth and endotoxin release by N. meningitidis

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  15 May 2009

M. C. Mellado ,
R. Rodríguez-Contreras ,
A. Mariscal ,
J. D. Luna ,
M. Delgado Rodríguez  and
R. Galvez-Vargas
M. C. Mellado
Affiliation:
Departments of Preventive MedicineUniversity of Granada, Spain
R. Rodríguez-Contreras*
Affiliation:
Departments of Preventive MedicineUniversity of Granada, Spain
A. Mariscal
Affiliation:
Departments of Preventive MedicineUniversity of Granada, Spain
J. D. Luna
Affiliation:
Biostatistics, School of Medicine, University of Granada, Spain
M. Delgado Rodríguez
Affiliation:
Departments of Preventive MedicineUniversity of Granada, Spain
R. Galvez-Vargas
Affiliation:
Departments of Preventive MedicineUniversity of Granada, Spain
*
* For correspondence and requests for reprints: Prof. Rodríguez-Contreras, Dpto. de Medicina Preventiva, Facultad de Medicina, Avenida de Madrid 11, 18012 – Granada, Spain.
Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Summary

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.

The action of two antibiotics, penicillin and chloramphenicol, on bacterial growth and endotoxin liberation was studied in 18 strains of Neissevia meningitidis isolated from blood and CSF of patients with meningococcal infections. The antibiotics were administered both separately and in combined form in doses equivalent to 1 MIC and 100 MIC. Penicillin was found to produce a faster and more intense bactericidal effect than chloramphenicol during the first hour, whereas at 12 h these differences were not significant. This could explain the initial worsening observed in some infected patients when large doses of penicillin are administered. An increased liberation of endotoxin after adding penicillin was observed in six of the strains studied, whereas the remaining 12 did not show significant increases. The six strains (belonging to serogroup B) were known to have an enhanced capacity for spontaneous endotoxin liberation.

Type
Special Article
Information
Epidemiology & Infection , Volume 106 , Issue 2 , April 1991 , pp. 283 - 288
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1991

References

REFERENCES

1.Elin, RJ, Wolff, SM. Biology and endotoxin. Ann Rev Med Selected Trop Clin Sci 1977; 27: 127–41.Google Scholar
2.Hopkin, DAB. Top-rapid destruction of gram-negative organism. Lancet 1977; ii: 603–4.Google Scholar
3.Hopkin, DAB. Frapper fort ou frapper doucement: a gram-negative dilemma. Lancet 1978; ii: 1193–4.Google Scholar
4.Andersen, BM, Solberg, O. The endotoxin liberating effects of antibiotics on meningococci in vitro. Acta Pathol Microbiol Scand (B) 1980; 88: 231–6.Google Scholar
5.Andersen, BM, Solberg, O. The virulence of endotoxin liberating and non-liberating variants of N. meningitidis in mice. Effect of benzylpenicillin treatment. In: Proceedings of the VIIIth International Congress of Infectious and Parasitic Diseases, Stockholm (Sweden), 1982: 7–11.Google Scholar
6.Andersen, BM, Solberg, O. Effect of benzylpenicillin in mice infected with endotoxinliberating and non-liberating variant strains of N. meningitidis. Scand J Infect Dis 1984; 16: 256–66.Google Scholar
7.Andersen, BM, Solberg, O. Endotoxin liberation and invasivity of N. meningitidis. Scand J Infect Dis 1984; 16: 247–52.Google Scholar
8.Harthug, S, Bjorkatn, B, Osterud, B. Quantitation of endotoxin in blood from patients with meningococcal disease using a limulus lysate in combination with chromogenic substrate. Infection 1983; 11: 192–5.Google Scholar
9.Mellado, MC, Rodríguez-Contreras, R, Fernandez-Crehuet, M, Lopez-Gigosos, R, Delgado, Rodriguez M, Galvez-Vargas, R. Endotoxin liberation by strains of N. meningitidis isolated from patients and healthy carriers. Epidemiol Infect 1991; 106: 289–295.Google Scholar
10.Shenep, JL, Barton, RP, Mogan, KA. Role of antibiotic class in the rate of liberation of endotoxin during therapy for experimental gram-negative bacterial sepsis. J Infect Dis 1985; 151: 1012–18.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
11.Goto, H, Nakamura, S. Liberation of endotoxin from Escherichia coli by the addition of antibiotics. Japan J Exp Med 1980; 50: 35–43.Google Scholar