Influence of the developmental state of valvular lesions on the antimicrobial activity of cefotaxime in experimental enterococcal infections

Sullam, PM; Drake, TA; Täuber, MG; Hackbarth, CJ; Sande, MA (1985). Influence of the developmental state of valvular lesions on the antimicrobial activity of cefotaxime in experimental enterococcal infections. Antimicrobial agents and chemotherapy, 27(3), pp. 320-3. Washington, D.C.: American Society for Microbiology 10.1128/AAC.27.3.320

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Cefotaxime has little antimicrobial activity in vitro against most strains of enterococci, as measured by conventional MICs and MBCs. However, the MICs of cefotaxime against many enterococci are markedly reduced by the addition of serum to the test medium. To assess the relevance of this observation in vivo, we examined the efficacy of cefotaxime in experimental Streptococcus faecalis endocarditis. Since response to antimicrobial agents may vary with the degree of vegetation development, therapeutic efficacy was assessed both in rabbits with newly formed vegetations and in rabbits with well-developed endocardial lesions. Peak serum levels of cefotaxime (50.1 +/- 20.0 micrograms/ml) exceeded the MIC in medium supplemented with serum (4 micrograms/ml), but not in Mueller-Hinton broth alone (greater than 64 micrograms/ml). After 4 days of therapy, animals with newly formed lesions (therapy initiated 1 h after infection, transvalvular catheters removed) had lower mean vegetation bacterial titers than did untreated controls. Among animals with mature vegetations (therapy initiated 12 h after infection, catheters indwelling), the rate of mortality was significantly reduced by cefotaxime therapy. However, no difference in vegetation titers was observed. Thus, cefotaxime demonstrated antienterococcal activity within newly formed vegetations, but did not inhibit bacterial proliferation within well-established vegetations.

Item Type:

Journal Article (Original Article)

Division/Institute:

04 Faculty of Medicine > Service Sector > Institute for Infectious Diseases

UniBE Contributor:

Täuber, Martin G.

ISSN:

0066-4804

ISBN:

3922293

Publisher:

American Society for Microbiology

Language:

English

Submitter:

Factscience Import

Date Deposited:

04 Oct 2013 15:00

Last Modified:

05 Dec 2022 14:18

Publisher DOI:

10.1128/AAC.27.3.320

PubMed ID:

3922293

Web of Science ID:

A1985ACW6000008

URI:

https://boris.unibe.ch/id/eprint/25831 (FactScience: 61039)

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