Sensitivity of Pseudomonas mallei to fluoroquinolones and their efficacy in experimental glanders]

Thirteen strains of P. mallei were found to be highly sensitive to ciprofloxacin and ofloxacin and resistant to norfloxacin. Ciprofloxacin and ofloxacin showed a high efficacy on models of malleus in guinea pigs and hamsters. The animals were infected with various strains of P. mallei. In the in vitro experiments, ciprofloxacin proved to be the most active and efficient. Norfloxacin appeared to be inefficient.     

Activity and interactions of antibiotic and phytochemical combinations against Pseudomonas aeruginosa in vitro

In this study the in vitro activities of seven antibiotics (ciprofloxacin, ceftazidime, tetracycline, trimethoprim, sulfamethoxazole, polymyxin B and piperacillin) and six phytochemicals (protocatechuic acid, gallic acid, ellagic acid, rutin, berberine and myricetin) against five P. aeruginosa isolates, alone and in combination are evaluated. All the phytochemicals under investigation demonstrate potential inhibitory activity against P. aeruginosa. The combinations of sulfamethoxazole plus protocatechuic acid, sulfamethoxazole plus ellagic acid, sulfamethoxazole plus gallic acid and tetracycline plus gallic acid show synergistic mode of interaction. However, the combinations of sulfamethoxazole plus myricetin shows synergism for three strains (PA01, DB5218 and DR3062). The synergistic combinations are further evaluated for their bactericidal activity against P. aeruginosa ATCC strain using time-kill method. Sub-inhibitory dose responses of antibiotics and phytochemicals individually and in combination are presented along with their interaction network to suggest on the mechanism of action and potential targets for the phytochemicals under investigation. The identified synergistic combinations can be of potent therapeutic value against P. aeruginosa infections. These findings have potential implications in delaying the development of resistance as the antibacterial effect is achieved with lower concentrations of both drugs (antibiotics and phytochemicals).     

Nucleic Acid Similarities Among Pseudomonas pseudomallei, Pseudomonas multivorans, and Actinobacillus mallei

Annealing experiments on membrane filters were carried out with deoxyribonucleic acids (DNA) from selected strains of the nomen-species of Pseudomonas, Actinobacillus, Chromobacterium, and Micrococcus, with the use of DNA of Pseudomonas pseudomallei and Actinobacillus mallei as reference materials. Under the usual conditions employed in these experiments, the results were not quantitatively reproducible. Incorporation of dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO) into the incubation medium greatly increased differences in comparative binding. DNA binding in agar matrices was examined in the presence and absence of DMSO at various incubation temperatures. It was found that the greatest specificity, stability, and total binding for DNA containing high amounts of guanine and cytosine occurred in the presence of DMSO. Under the most stringent annealing conditions permitted in agar, DNA species from P. pseudomallei and A. mallei in the presence of DMSO demonstrated interspecific relative bindings of 76 to 86% when compared to the homologous reactions. The thermal elution midpoints (E_m) of these duplexed interspecific DNA species were quite close to the homologous E_m values. The relative bindings of P. multivorans DNA types to either reference DNA ranged between 6 to 27%, and the E_m values were 4 to 7 C less than those for the homologous reactions.     

In vitro trials of some antimicrobial combinations against Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa

Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa are rapidly increasing as multidrug resistant strains worldwide. In nosocomial settings because of heavy exposure of different antimicrobials, resistance in these pathogens turned into a grave issue in both developed and developing countries. The aim of this study was to investigate in vitro antibiotic synergism of combinations of β-lactam–β-lactam and β-lactam–aminoglycoside against clinical isolates of S. aureus and P. aeruginosa. Synergy was determined by checkerboard double dilution method. The combination of amoxicillin and cefadroxil was found to be synergistic against 47 S. aureus isolates, in the FICI range of 0.14–0.50 (81.03%) followed by the combination of streptomycin and cefadroxil synergistic against 44 S. aureus isolates in the FICI range of 0.03–0.50 (75.86%). The combination of streptomycin and cefadroxil was observed to be synergistic against 39 P. aeruginosa isolates in the FICI range of 0.16–0.50 (81.28%). Further actions are needed to characterize the possible interaction mechanism between these antibiotics. Moreover, the combination of streptomycin and cefadroxil may lead to the development of a new and vital antimicrobial against simultaneous infections of S. aureus and P. aeruginosa.     

Sensitivity of Pseudomonas to currently used antibacterial drugs

Sensitivity of 184 strains of four Preudomonas species that are of importance from the medical viewpoint was studied. It was shown that all the studied strains were resistant to cefazolin and ampicillin. Sulfomonomethoxine was active only against P. mallei. Gentamicin inhibited the growth of all the strains of P. mallei and 60 per cent of the strains of P. aeruginosa. Among the four studied strains, the causative agent of glanders was the least resistant to the chemotherapeutic drugs. Eleven out of the 16 studied drugs were active against P. mallei. The strains of P. pseudomallei, the organism causing melioidosis were sensitive to 6 drugs: ceftazidime, imipenem, doxycycline, minocycline, chloramphenicol and biseptol. The dime, ceftriaxone, cefsulodin, cefoperazone, cefotaxime, piperacillin and imipenem. The strains of P. cepacia were the most resistant to all the chemotherapeutic drugs studied and only biseptol was active in the concentrations attained in blood of patients (MIC50 12.5 mg/l). 10 to 70 per cent of the strains were sensitive to ceftazidime, imipenem, doxycycline, minocycline and rifampicin. Therefore, imipenem and ceftazidime were the most active drugs with respect to the causative agents of pseudomonoses. Biseptol, doxycycline and minocycline are also worthy note.     

铜绿假单胞菌的药敏试验中D-现象的探讨

了解铜绿假单胞菌的药敏试验（K-B法）中,亚胺培南（IPM）诱导哌拉西林（PIP）、哌拉西林/他唑巴坦（TZP）出现D-现象的概率,并对这种现象发生的机制及临床意义进行探讨。采用美国临床实验室标准化研究所（CLSI）推荐的K-B法。其中,将TZP、PIP分别贴在IPM的两侧,纸片中心距离为25 mm,看IPM能否诱导TZP、PIP出现D-现象。结果可见,150株铜绿假单胞菌的药敏试验中,出现D-现象的有120株,占80%;未出现D-现象的有30株,占20%,其中5株耐IPM。铜绿假单胞菌的药敏试验中,IPM诱导TZP、PIP出现D-现象非常普遍,这可能与IPM可诱导AmpC酶的大量产生有关。     

Comparison of the in vitro and in vivo susceptibilities of Burkholderia mallei to Ceftazidime and Levofloxacin

Background  

Burkholderia mallei is a zoonotic Gram negative bacterium which primarily infects solipeds but can cause lethal disease in humans if left untreated. The effect of two antibiotics with different modes of action on Burkholderia mallei strain ATCC23344 was investigated by using in vitro and in vivo studies.     

Sensitivity of Pseudomonas aeruginosa to Normal Serum and to Polymyxin

Strains of Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolated from clinical material were very variable in their sensitivity to the bactericidal action of normal serum mediated by the complement system. Fifty per cent killing end points ranged from 0.015 ml to greater than 0.4 ml. Most of the strains with relatively greater sensitivity to serum were isolated from patients with cystic fibrosis. Immunization of rabbits resulted in antisera with enhanced levels of bactericidal antibody, except with one strain which was resistant to the bactericidal action of normal serum and antiserum. When P. aeruginosa was cultivated at 41 C instead of at 37 C, it was significantly more sensitive to serum and to several antibiotics, thereby implicating fever as a host defense mechanism in Pseudomonas infections. In contrast to their heterogeneity to serum bactericidal activity, the strains were relatively homogeneous in their sensitivity to polymyxin, with no apparent association between their sensitivity to the two antimicrobial agents.     

Sensitivity of clinical Proteus strains to antibiotics and their combinations]

In 1976 isolation of Proteus from wounds of patients with various purulent processes amounted to 14.5 per cent. Serotypes 0-10, 0-3 and H-3 predominated among the isolates. Sensitivity of 35 clinical strains of Proteus to 10 antibiotics, furagin and nevigramone was studied by the method of serial dilutions in liquid media. All the isolates were highly resistant to the antibiotics except gentamicin, furagin and nevigramone, the MIC of which for most of the strains was 3.12, 1.6-3.12 and 6.25-12.5 gamma/ml, respectively. The effect of 14 combinations of chemotherapeutics was also studied. The combinations of gentamicin with carbenicillin, gentamicin with ampicillin and monomycin with ampicillin proved to be most effective against the Proteus strains tested. The following combinations may be of practical value: monomycin + carbenicillin, kanamycin + ampicillin, kanamycin + carbenicillin, ampicillin + furagin, gentamicin + nevigramone. The combinations of carbenicillin with furagin and gentamicin with furagin were also rational.     

Pyocin Sensitivity of Pseudomonas Species

Only the fluorescent pseudomonads, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, P. putida, and P. fluorescens, were sensitive to pyocins produced from P. aeruginosa.     

The use of the plasmid pTH10 for isolating the donor strains of Pseudomonas mallei

The plasmid pTH10 was transfered by conjugation into the Pseudomonas mallei strains. An attempt to construct the donor strains using the widely known technique employing the homology between the plasmid and chromosome due to the transposon Tn1 carried by the plasmid was unsuccessful. Among the clones resistant to bacteriophage PRD1 the variants were selected with the supposed integration of the plasmid into the chromosome. The latter clones required the ability to transfer the auxotrophic chromosomal markers in conjugation after the repeated conjugational transfer of the plasmid pTH10 into them.