Augmentin in the combined therapy of puerperal diseases]

Augmentin was used in treatment of mild forms of postnatal endometritis and serous mastitis. Augmentin tablets proved to be efficient in endometritis due to enterobacteria and obligate nonsporulating anaerobes and mastitis due to Staphylococcus aureus strains sensitive to the preparation. No adverse events were recorded. It was shown that in the treatment of mild postnatal infections the augmentin tablets were not inferior by their activity of combinations of antibiotics against aerobic and anaerobic microflora.     

Identifi cation of antibiotics that are effective 2 in eliminatingAgrobacterium tumefaciens

An assay was performed to identify the antibiotics that are most effective againstAgrobacterium tumefaciens strains EHA101 and LBA4404, and to determine if these antibiotics inhibited tobacco callus and shoot formation. We tested ten antibiotics: cefotaxime, carbenecillin, erythromycin, spectinomycin, polymixin B, chloramphenicol, methicillin, Augmentin 500, Augmentin 250, and moxalactam. The effectiveness of each antibiotic against the two strains was determined by measuring the zones of inhibition of bacterial growth in a disk-diffusion assay. The five antibiotics that generated the largest zones of inhibition for each strain were assayed to determine their effects on callus formation. Cefotaxime was the most active antibiotic tested against strain LBA4404, and moxalactam was the most effective antibiotic against EHA101. Both cefotaxime and moxalactam had little or no effect on callus development.     

Augmentin<Superscript>®</Superscript> as an alternative antibiotic for growth suppression of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Agrobacterium</Emphasis> for tomato (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Lycopersicon esculentum</Emphasis>) transformation

Augmentin^® was used as an alternative antibiotic for suppressing Agrobacterium tumefaciens during tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum) transformation. The efficiency of Augmentin compared with Timentin^® to suppress the growth of Agrobacterium was at concentrations of 300 and 100 mg l^–1, respectively. In addition, the high concentration up to 500 mg l^–1 of both antibiotics showed no significant toxicity to shoot regeneration. The overgrowth of Agrobacterium was observed on tomato shoots regenerated on medium containing cefotaxime even at high concentration up to 500 mg l^–1. Moreover, shoot regeneration from medium containing cefotaxime was lower than the one from medium containing Timentin and Augmentin. However, we found that Timentin was more stable than Augmentin when stored as a mixed stock solution and kept at –20°C freezer. In order to increase the efficiency of Augmentin, we recommended the use of Augmentin at a concentration of 300 mg l^–1 with fresh preparation prior to use. Therefore, Augmentin can be used as another antibiotic for suppression of bacterial growth with comparative efficiency as Timetin for tomato transformation.     

Antibiotic prophylaxis with amoxicillin/clavulinate (Augmentin) in extended and combined operations in gynecologic cancer patients]

Frequency of postoperation complications at oncological patients deviates in the range from 10 to 70 per cent. The highest frequency of infectious complications is registered after extended and complex operations (cervical carcinoma, cancer of vulva, ovarian cancer). The most frequent aerobic pathogens in oncology are enterococci, staphylococci and streptococci, in the case of urinary tract operations--enterococci and Erscherichia coli. Perioperation prophylaxis with amoxycillin/clavulanate (Augmentin) effective against this microorganisms and also against anaerobic bacteria (usual pathogens of post operation infections in oncogynecology) resulted with lower frequency of wound infections. Demonstrated prophylaxy efficacy was more potent than that of cefotaxime (p < 0.05) or when compared to results of other antibiotics administration after operations only.     

The augmentin (amoxicillin/clavulanate) prophylaxis of postoperative infectious complications in patients with acute surgical diseases of the abdominal cavity organs]

Augmentin was used prophylactically in 25 patients with an account of the infectious complication risk according to 4 regimens: ultrashort-term (1.2 g intravenously with initial narcosis), short-term (1.2 g intravenously with initial narcosis followed by intravenous administration in a dose of 600 mg in 8 and 16 hours), middle-term (1.2 g intravenously with initial narcosis followed by intravenous administration in a dose of 600 mg every 8 hours for 2 days) and long-term (1.2 g intravenously with initial narcosis followed by intravenous administration in a dose of 600 mg every 8 hours for 3 days). One complication episode as wound suppuration was recorded. The routine approach to the use of antibiotics in emergency abdominal surgery, when antibiotics are administered every day for several days after the operation, should be revised.     

Augmentin in the clinical picture of infectious diseases]

Augmentin is a new combination manufactured by Smith Kline Beecham (Great Britain). It is composed of amoxycillin and clavulanic acid and has antibacterial activity. Augmentin was used in clinical trials in the therapy of 50 adult patients with suppurations after surgical operations on the organs of the abdominal cavity, general staphylococcal infections, pneumonia and prophylactically during the preoperative period. It was also used in the treatment of 30 children patients with bronchopulmonary affections and inflammatory otorhinolaryngological diseases. The clinical trials were performed in the Clinic of Infectious Diseases of the N. G. Gabrichevski? Moscow Research Institute of Epidemiology and Microbiology. For comparison ampicillin was used in the trials. Augmentin was shown to be an efficient formulation with antibacterial activity which could be successfully used in the parenteral therapy of severe affections due to organisms sensitive to it. In the treatment of the children patients with pneumonia augmentin by its therapeutic efficacy proved to be superior to ampicillin. The tolerance of augmentin was good.     

The microbiology of a pharmaceutical effluent and its public health implications

The effluent of a pharmaceutical company was examined microbiologically. Its bacterial count was 2.15 × 10⁵ c.f.u./ml and there was evidence of faecal contamination with MPN of > 1800. The organisms encountered included Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Proteus vulgaris, Serratia marcescens and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The resistances of the 25 bacterial strains isolated from the effluent to the commonly used antibiotics were studied. About 80% of the isolates were resistant to Amoxycillin, 76% to Nitrofurantoin, 64% to Cotrimoxazole and Augmentin, 60% were resistant to Nalidixic acid, 52% were resistant to Tetracycline and Ofloxacin, while resistance of 12% was obtained for Gentamicin. Among the eight antibiotics tested, seven patterns of drug resistance were obtained and all of them were multiple-drug resistance with the number of antibiotics ranging from 2–8. All the strains of E. coli and S. aureus had high MIC values for Cloxacillin and Amoxycillin. In all, 13 strains of the bacterial isolates had evidence for the production of -lactamases. The potential of the effluent in spreading drug resistance and the public health implications are discussed.     

Sensitivity to selected beta-lactam antibiotics of clinical strains of Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae

The studies aimed at analysing the resistance to some beta-lactam antibiotics among E. coli and K. pneumoniae clinical isolates and at evaluating. The extended spectrum of beta-lactamases (ESBL) production in the isolates. The analysis included 137 E. coli strains and 52 K. pneumoniae strains, isolated from hospitalized patients and out-patients treated in the first trimester of 1998. The strains were identified using the ATB computer system. Antibiotic sensitivity of the isolates was determined by disc-diffusion tests. ESBL production capacity of E. coli and K. pneumoniae strains was estimated by double-disc and ATB BLSA tests. Most of the analysed E. coli strains were found to exhibit significant sensitivity to compound penicillin preparations containing beta-lactam inhibitor (Augmentin, Tazocin) and to the third generation cefalosporins, in contrast, K. pneumoniae strains much more frequently were resistant to the drugs. Among the obtained isolates, 3 (2.2%) E. coli strains and 21 (40.4%) K. pneumoniae strains produced ESBL but all the isolates proved sensitive to imipenem. In evaluation of ESBL production-detecting tests, the double-disc test was found to be more reliable than ATB BLSA test.     

A clinico-laboratory assessment of the efficacy of an Augmentin suspension in treating children with suppurative-inflammatory diseases caused by opportunistic bacteria]

Augmentin suspension (amoxycillin+clavulanic acid) was estimated in clinico-laboratory studies with respect to children suffering from pyoinflammatory diseases of various localization and its high efficacy was shown. Good and satisfactory results were recorded in 96.3 per cent of the cases in the treatment (monotherapy) and afterwards in the patients, adverse reactions such as nausea and vomiting being recorded only in 1 patient. The therapy with augmentin led to normalization of the microflora of the upper respiratory tract mucosa and a 1.5-fold increase in the neutrophil engulfment index.     

Erythromycin-inducible resistance in Staphylococcus aureus: survey of antibiotic classes involved

Certain erythromycin-resistant strains of Staphylococcus aureus remain sensitive to other macrolide antibiotics. If these strains are exposed to low levels of erythromycin, resistance to other antibiotics is induced. The antibiotics to which resistance is induced by erythromycin include: other macrolides as well as lincosaminide, streptogramin (group B) antibiotics but not chloramphenicol, amicetin, streptogramin (group A) antibiotics, tetracyclines, and aminoglycosides. Hence erythromycin induces resistance exclusively towards inhibitors of 50S ribosomal subunit function and, thus far, only with respect to three of six known classes of inhibitors which act on this subunit. In the four strains tested, erythromycin did not induce resistance to pactamycin or bottromycin, to fusidic acid (which inhibits a function involving both subunits), or to other antibiotics which do not inhibit ribosomal function. Thus, by inducing resistance erythromycin could antagonize the action of other antibiotics, and a consistent pattern of antagonism was observed to each antibiotic class in all of the strains in which this could be tested, as well as to other antibiotic members of the same chemical class in each bacterial strain.     

Nucleotide sequence of the thermostable direct hemolysin gene (tdh gene) of Vibrio mimicus and its evolutionary relationship with the tdh genes of Vibrio parahaemolyticus

During an outbreak of infection with ampicillin-resistant, TEM-1 beta-lactamase-producing Escherichia coli serotype O15, some strains were noted to differ from the majority in that they showed reduced susceptibility to amoxycillin/clavulanic acid (Augmentin), ureidopenicillins and first generation cephalosporins and produced increased amounts of beta-lactamase. The plasmid from one such isolate was compared with that from an isolate that produced normal amounts of beta-lactamase. Restriction analysis with EcoRI revealed extra fragments in the plasmid from the beta-lactamase hyperproducer and use of DNA-DNA hybridisation with a biotinylated TEM-1 probe showed genetic rearrangement in the beta-lactamase hyperproducer so that the TEM gene appeared to be present in larger amounts and was located on a smaller fragment than for the plasmid from the strain that produced normal amounts of beta-lactamase.     

The use of augmentin (amoxicillin/clavulanate) in the postoperative period in patients with infectious-inflammatory diseases of the ENT organs]

Augmentin (SmithKline Beecham) was used in the treatment of 24 patients after operations on the otorhinolaryngologic organs. The drug was administered orally, intravenously or applied locally. After a radical operation on the maxillary sinus the use of augmentin resulted in a marked decrease of the wound secretion and soft tissue edema on the 6th-7th days. After tonsillectomy cleaning of the tonsil niche from the fibrin patches and the epithelialization started on the 4th-5th days. After operations on the temporal bone cleaning of the postoperative cavity and beginning of the epithelialization were observed on the 9th-10th days. On the whole, the use of augmentin accelerated the cure which was recorded 3-4 days earlier.     

Mechanism of antibiotic resistance in Mycobacterium intracellulare

The mechanism of resistance of Mycobacterium intracellulare strain 103 and other clinical isolates to a variety of drugs including aminoglycoside and peptide antibiotics was investigated. Enzymatic inactivation of aminoglycoside and peptide antibiotics could not be demonstrated. Ribosomes of the strain were found to be sensitive to the antibiotics. The levels of resistance of strain 103 and other clinical isolates decreased dramatically when the culture medium was changed from Dubos agar to Tween 80-containing agar. These results suggest that a permeability barrier is the reason for naturally occurring resistance in M. intracellulare.     

Analysis of antibacterial and cytotoxic potential of medicinal plants from Cholistan desert,Pakistan

This study aimed to investigate the antibacterial and cytotoxic activity of 03 medicinal plants, Calligonum polygonides, Farsetia hamiltonii, and Pulcaria crispa, from Cholistan desert, Pakistan. The active constituents of plants species were extracted in 05 different solvents and the extracts were tested against various bacterial strains and brine shrimps. Although all Calligonum polygonides’s extracts except chloroform were active against Staphylococcus aureus the most active was the acetone extract (21 ± 0.00 mm at 200 μg/disc) and activity was better than Caricef (p-value 0.03). While its water extract was more potent (18 ± 1.45 mm at 200 μg/disc) than Augmentin and Caricef (p-value < 0.005). The methanol extract’s activity (15 ± 0.39 mm in 200 μg/disc) was comparable to Fucidin against Proteus vulgaris (p-value > 0.99) and activity of diethyl ether extract against Escherichia coli (10 ± 1.16 mm in 200 μg/disc) was same as of Urixin (p-value 0.91). Farsetia hamiltonii’s acetone extract against Pseudomonas aeruginosa (10 ± 0.15 mm in 1 μg/disc) was more active than Augmentin Caricef and Cefotax (p-value < 0.02) and against Staphylococcus aureus (15 ± 1.15 mm in 200 μg/disc) activity was higher than Caricef (p-value 0.03). All Pulicaria crispa’s extracts except water extract were found active against Staphylococcus aureus. However, the diethyl ether extract was most effective (25 + 0.00 mm at 150 μg /disc) and activity was more than Augmentin, Oxy-tetracycline, Fucidin, Urixin, Ceftriaxone (p-value < 0.05). Although all extracts were exhibited cytotoxic activity, the Calligonum polygonides’s acetone extract (100%), Farsetia hamiltonii’s diethyl ether extract (90%) and Pulicaria crispa’s methanol extract (100%) were most active at 1000 μg/ml concentration. This study validated the medicinal significance of the studied plants and thus opens the way for their therapeutic applications.     

Mutual Relationship between Antibiotics and Resting Spores of Bacillus subtilis: Binding of Cyclic Polypeptide and Aminoglycoside Antibiotics to Spores and Their Inhibitory Effect on Outgrowth and Vegetative Growth

Not only cyclic polypeptide antibiotics such as polymyxin B, colistin and gramicidin S but also aminoglycoside antibiotics such as streptomycin, kanamycin, gentamicin and kanamycin derivatives combined with the resting spores of Bacillus subtilis and inhibited outgrowth or vegetative growth after germination. All the antibiotics other than gramicidin S were released from the resting spores and their inhibitory action was reversed by the addition of Ca²⁺ and Fe³⁺. As the above antibiotics have free amino (or guanidine) groups in common, it was assumed that such groups play an important role in binding of the antibiotics to the resting spores. Moreover, it was shown that protamine and poly-l-lysine were also bound to the resting spores and were released from them by Ca²⁺. On the other hand, free carboxyl groups had been demonstrated in the outermost surface of the resting spores in a previous study. Thus, we assume that the mode of binding of the antibiotics to the resting spores may be due to the formation of reinforced ionic bonds between amino (or guanidine) groups in the antibiotics and carboxyl groups on the spore surface.     

Comparative study of the distribution of semisynthetic cephalosporins in the body of rats]

Distribution of 6 cephalosporin antibiotics, i. e. cephaloridin, cephalotin, cephradin cephacetryl, cephazolin and cephapyrin for parenteral use was studied comparatively on rats. The studies showed that all the above cephalosporins were well absorbed into the blood after intramuscular administration. The highest serum levels were achieved with the use of cephozolin. Still, its levels in the animal organs were mainly not higher and sometimes even lower than those provided by the other antibiotics. The highest levels of cephalosporins were detected in the kidneys. Cephalotin, cephapyrin and cephacetryl differed by the character of their distribution in the rats from the other 3 antibiotics: the levels of cephalotin and cephapyrin in the heart, spleen and muscles were lower than those of the other cephalosporins; sometimes they were even not detected in these organs; cephacetryl was not found in these organs. The levels of these 3 antibiotics in the kidneys were lower than those of the other cephalosporins. Cephalotin, cephacetryl and sometimes cephapyrin were not detected in the rat liver. None of the cephalosporins was found in the brain tissue.     

Antibiotic sensitivity of the microflora isolated in ENT diseases]

Sensitivity of beta-hemolytic streptococci of group A, Streptococcus viridans, Staphylococcus aureus, epidermal staphylococci, pneumococci, Proteus and Ps. aeruginosa isolated in 1975-1978 from patients with tonsillitis, otitis, sinusitis and other otorhinolaryngological diseases was studied with respect to 19 antibiotics. Data on comparison of the antibiotic sensitivity of the microflora isolated from the patients with otorhinolaryngological diseases in 1964-1974 and 1975-1978 are presented. It was shown that beta-hemolytic streptococci were highly sensitive to all the antibiotics tested except tetracycline. Among Streptococcus viridans the strains resistant to many antibiotics were more frequent than among beta-hemolytic streptococci. Most of the Staphylococcus aureus strains were sensitive to gentamycin, cephaloridin, oxacillin and resistant to the other antibiotics. The epidermal staphylococci were characterized by approximately the same antibiotic sensitivity as Staphylococcus aureus. Resistance of the predominating majority of the Pneumococcus strains to tetracycline was noted. Proteus and Ps. aeruginosa were resistant to all the antibiotics except aminoglycosides. The microflora isolated from the cases with otorhinolaryngological diseases in 1975-1978 were mainly characterized by lower antibiotic sensitivity than that isolated from the cases with the same diseases in 1964-1974. It is possible to suppose that the microorganisms isolated from the patients with otorhinolaringological diseases had no significant differences with respect to their antibiotic sensitivity from those isolated from the patients with other pathological processes.     

Studies on the antibacterial effects of negapillin in combination with other antibiotics and sulfa drugs

Summary The antibacterial effect of negapillin in combination with other antibiotics and sulfa drugs was studied using Gram+ve and Gram-ve bacteria as test organisms. Subsequently, various proportions of negapillin in combination with the antibiotics and the sulfa drugs were examined to determine the optimum proportions which exert maximum inhibitory effects on the bacterial growth. Mixtures of these antibiotics with negapillin were found more superior not only as antimicrobial agents but also for having comparatively low toxicity.     

Controlled search for the producers of ionophore antibiotics among Streptomycetes

A procedure was developed for directed screening of cultures producing ionophore antibiotics among streptomycetes. The procedure is based on measuring the membrane potential generated in the presence of the Men+/nH+ = -expchanger-protonophore couple. It provided isolation of cultures producing ionophore antibiotics at the fermentation broth stage. It was possible to use the procedure in screening both electrogenic and nonelectrogenic ionophores and to rapidly differentiate them. 5 cultures producing ionophore antibiotics were detected with this procedure; 3 of them carry out nonelectrogenic transport of the cations. The cation transport in the other two cultures was electrogenic. Cation selectivity of the antibiotics produced by the cultures was determined with the procedure. An antibiotic identical to indanomycin was isolated from the culture fluid of Streptomyces chromogenes.