Eremomycin--a new antibiotic of the polycyclic glycopeptide group

Eremomycin is a novel antibacterial antibiotic. It was isolated at the Institute of New Antibiotics, the USSR Academy of Medical Sciences from the culture fluid of actinomycete INA-238. By its physico-chemical and biological properties the antibiotic was classified as belonging to the group of polycyclic glycopeptides. Chemical structure of eremomycin was asserted and it was shown to be a new representative of the group close by its structure to vancomycin and differing from it by the carbohydrate composition and structure of tri-phenoxytriaminotricarboxylic acid. By its anti-bacterial spectrum eremomycin was found to be close to ristomycin and vancomycin. Still, its activity was 2-10 times higher. The antibiotic was several times less toxic than vancomycin. Unlike vancomycin and ristomycin, the novel antibiotic induced no tissue necrosis after its intramuscular administration. The chemotherapeutic indices of eremomycin in treatment of staphylococcal and streptococcal sepsis in albino mice exceeded 10 times those of vancomycin. At present eremomycin is under clinical trials.     

In vitro activity of a new glycopeptide antibiotic eremomycin in relation to obligate anaerobic Gram-positive bacteria]

Antibacterial activity of eremomycin, a novel glycopeptide antibiotic, against obligate anaerobic Gram-positive++ bacteria was studied. Eremomycin was shown to inhibit the growth of obligate anaerobic Gram-positive++ cocci and bacteria belonging to Clostridium in rather low concentrations and within narrow ranges of the MIC which was indicative of the antibiotic undoubted advantages. The antibacterial activity of eremomycin was 2 times as high as that of vancomycin and 8 times as high as that of ristomycin with respect to Gram-positive++ anaerobic cocci. Pathogenic strains of Clostridium spp. were 2 to 4 times more sensitive to eremomycin than to vancomycin. A significant property of the novel glycopeptide antibiotic was shown to be its capacity for inhibiting the growth of Gram-positive++ aerobic and obligate anaerobic cocci within the same concentration ranges which might be of importance in monotherapy of mixed aerobic and anaerobic infections.     

Study of the sorption of glycopeptide antibiotics on an ultradisperse carbon sorbent

The sorption capacity of a novel ultradisperse carbon sorbent (UDCS) towards antibiotics of the glycopeptide group, namely, eremomycin, vancomycin, ristomycin A, and teicoplanin A2, has been studied. The conditions for maximum sorption of the antibiotics from solutions have been determined, and a mathematical model of the sorption of the antibiotics of the above named group has been put forward.     

Comparative study of the therapeutic effect of the glycopeptide antibiotics eremomycin, vancomycin and ristomycin in a model of antibiotic-associated colitis in golden hamsters]

Experiments with a model of intraperitoneal or intragastric lincomycin-induced fatal colitis indicated that eremomycin, vancomycin and ristomycin administered orally in daily doses of 100, 100 and 200 mg/kg, respectively, for 5 days protected the animals from development of antibiotic-associated colitis (AAC), which was evident from prolongation of their life-span to 10-23 days against 3-9 days in the controls. Eremomycin administered intraperitoneally according to an analogous scheme protected the animals from development of AAC, prevented 45 per cent of the animals from death and prolonged the life-span of the other animals to 15-28 days against 3-9 days in the controls. Vancomycin administered intraperitoneally was somewhat more efficient. Still, unlike eremomycin it had a local irritating effect. The protective effect of ristomycin administered intraperitoneally was much lower than that of vancomycin and eremomycin.     

Experimental study of histamine-liberating properties of eremomycin

Eremomycin, a new glycopeptide antibiotic showed the same as ristomycin, polymyxins B and M and kanamycin histamine liberating properties. Liberation of endogenic histamine induced destructive lesions on the mucosa of the gastrointestinal tract. The most pronounced lesions were observed after intraperitoneal administration of the antibiotic. When eremomycin was administered intravenously or subcutaneously the affection of the gastrointestinal tract epithelium was less pronounced. After subplantar administration of the antibiotics pad edema in albino rats was observed. The most pronounced edema was after the use of ristomycin and the polymyxins. After the use of eremomycin and kanamycin it was at the average 2 times less pronounced. Preliminary administration of dimedrol decreased intensity of the pad edema induced by the antibiotics.     

The dimerization of semisynthetic eremomycin derivatives studied by the electrospray ionization mass spectrometry and its effect on their antibacterial activity

The dimerization constants for glycopeptide antibiotics vancomycin, ristocetin, and eremomycin and nine semisynthetic eremomycin derivatives were determined by the electrospray ionization mass spectrometry; the constants for natural antibiotics turned out to be close to those previously determined by NMR. No correlation between these dimerization constants and antibacterial activities of all the compounds toward the clinical strains of Gram-positive bacteria was found.     

Study of dimerization of polysynthetic derivatives of the antibiotic eremomycin by ESI MS and its role in elucidating antibacterial activity

The dimerization constants for glycopeptide antibiotics vancomycin, ristocetin, and eremomycin and nine semisynthetic eremomycin derivatives were determined by the electrospray ionization mass spectrometry; the constants for natural antibiotics turned out to be close to those previously determined by NMR. No correlation between these dimerization constants and antibacterial activities of all the compounds toward the clinical strains of Gram-positive bacteria was found.     

Sorbents with immobilized glycopeptide antibiotics for separating optical isomers by high-performance liquid chromatography

Chiral sorbents for HPLC separation of optical isomers carrying glycopeptide antibiotics (eremomycin or its eremosaminyl aglycon, ristomycin, or vancomycin) fixed onto the surface of silica gel have been synthesized. The patterns of the retention and separation of profen isomers and their dependence on the nature of the chiral selector and the eluant composition have been studied. The sorbents were shown to be highly enantiospecific in separating the isomers of alpha-amino-, alpha-hydroxy-, and alpha-methylphenylcarboxylic acids (profens).     

Glycopeptide antibiotics: eremomycin, vancomycin, and teicoplanin. Comparison of several parameters of pharmacokinetics and antimicrobial activity

Pharmacokinetic parameters of eremomycin (Institute of New Antibiotics, the USSR Academy of Medical Sciences), teichoplanin (Lepetit) and vancomycin (Eli Lilly) were compared after their intravenous administration to rats in the same dose of 50 mg/kg. It was shown that the area under the concentration time curve of eremomycin was 2 times smaller than that of teichoplanin and 6 times larger than that of vancomycin. The mean retention time of eremomycin was close to that of teichoplanin and 1.6 times higher than that of vancomycin. Bioavailability of eremomycin and teichoplanin after their extravascular administration was the same and amounted to 94 per cent. Antibacterial activity of eremomycin against methicillin resistant strains of staphylococci was 4 times higher than that of teichoplanin and vancomycin.     

Sorbents with immobilized glycopeptide antibiotics for separating optical isomers by high-performance liquid chromatography

Chiral sorbents for HPLC separation of optical isomers carrying glycopeptide antibiotics (eremomycin or its eremosaminyl aglycon, ristomycin, or vancomycin) fixed onto the surface of silica gel have been synthesized. The patterns of the retention and separation of profen isomers and their dependence on the nature of the chiral selector and the eluant composition have been studied. The sorbents were shown to be highly enantiospecific in separating the isomers of α-amino-, α-hydroxy-, and α-methylphenylcarboxylic acids (profens)     

Enzyme immunoassay for the determination of the glycopeptide antibiotic eremomycin

An indirect competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was developed using rabbit polyclonal antibodies against the eremomycin-glucose oxidase conjugated antigen. This technique allows the glycopeptide antibiotic eremomycin to be determined both in aqueous solutions (with a sensitivity as high as 0.1 ng/ml) and in blood plasma. The cross-reactivity of the antibodies with vancomycin was 0.4% of that for eremomycin, while teicoplanin was almost not recognized. Experiments with blood plasma samples diluted 1: 10 showed that the assay was linear over the concentration range 1–30 ng/ml and that the variation coefficient did not exceed 10%. The high sensitivity and selectivity of this test make it suitable for pharmacokinetic studies and drug monitoring analysis.     

Synthesis and antibacterial activity of eremomycin esters through the carboxyl group]

Methyl, benzyl and diphenylmethyl esters of the glycopeptide antibiotic eremomycin were obtained by its treatment with corresponding diazoalkanes. The esters have high antibacterial activity but are less active than the parent antibiotic.     

Structure-activity relationships in a series of semisynthetic polycyclic glycopeptide antibiotics

The main achievements in the development of methods for the design of semisynthetic antibiotics of a new generation belonging to the group of polycyclic glycopeptides directed against infections caused by multidrug-resistant bacteria and dangerous human and animal viruses are reviewed. The review is focused on the results obtained at the Gauze Institute in the area of chemical modification of natural antibiotics (eremomycin, vancomycin, teicoplanin, etc.) directed toward modification of their antibacterial and/or antiviral activity. A special emphasis is placed on the study of the mechanisms of action of these antibiotics, which could be the basis of a rational approach to their chemical modification involving the transformation of the inner binding pocket and the peripheral regions of the molecules that participate in the formation of their complexes with targets. The study of the recently discovered antiviral activity of modified glycopeptide antibiotics is also discussed. A possibility of obtaining new highly active anti-HIV-1 and anti-HIV-2 preparations on the basis of hydrophobic derivatives of the aglycones of glycopeptide antibiotics was demonstrated. New semisynthetic derivatives of antibiotics that exhibit a high antibacterial activity in vivo, have good pharmacological characteristics, and are promising for practical use are described.     

Modification of eremomycin by amine groups

Possible modification of eremomycin, a novel glycopeptide antibiotic by the amine groups with acylating agents such as Ac2O/MeOH and CH3(CH2)7COCl/Et3N and alkylating agents such as CH3CHO, NaBH and NaBH3CN was studied. N-Acetyl, N,N'-diacetyl. N-pelargoil, N-ethyl, N,N'-diethyl and N,N',N"-triethyl derivatives of eremomycin were prepared. Their structure was asserted and the order of the substitute introduction was determined. The antimicrobial activity against Bacillus subtilis and Staphylococcus aureus was assayed. It was found that with introduction of the ethyl substitutes to the eremomycin molecule the antibiotic activity lowered insignificantly whereas the acylation resulted in its decreasing by 1-2 orders.     

Study of the activity of a new glycopeptide antibiotic eremomycin combined with tobramycin against Staphylococci in vitro

Eremomycin is an original natural antibiotic with glycopeptide structure isolated at the Institute of New Antibiotics, the USSR Academy of Medical Sciences. Activity of eremomycin alone or in combination with tobramycin was studied with using 25 clinical strains of staphylococci. 56 and 88 per cent of the strains were respectively resistant to gentamicin and kanamycin, two aminoglycoside antibiotics. All the staphylococcal strains were sensitive to eremomycin in concentrations of 0.12 to 1 microgram/ml. The MIC of tobramycin for 10 (40 per cent) sensitive strains ranged within 0.25-2 micrograms/ml. For 60 per cent of the strains the MIC was equal to or higher than 16 micrograms/ml. When eremomycin was used in combination with tobramycin the antibacterial effect with respect to 17 strains (68 per cent) increased. In 32 per cent of the strains the effect was synergistic and in 36 per cent of the strains it was additive. Indifference and antagonism were detected with respect to 7 (28 per cent) and 1 (4% per cent) strains respectively. No significant difference was shown in manifestation of the synergistic-additive nature of eremomycin and tobramycin interaction with respect to the tobramycin sensitive and resistant strains.     

Experimental study on chemotherapeutic efficacy, acute toxic action and nephrotoxicity of combinations of eremomycin with tobramycin

Chemotherapeutic efficacy of eremomycin in combination with tobramycin was investigated on a model of experimental sepsis of albino mice caused by Staphylococcus aureus cultures resistant to methicillin. Eremomycin is a novel original antibiotic of the glycopeptide structure isolated in the USSR and tobramycin is an aminoglycoside. Acute toxicity of the combination with a wide range of the dose fixed proportions was studied on mice and the nephrotoxic action of the antibiotics and their combinations administered intravenously for 5 days was studied on albino rats. The experiments showed that the chemotherapeutic effect of eremomycin in combination with tobramycin was of synergistic nature. Acute toxicity of the combined drugs mainly summed up and somewhat increased when the proportion of tobramycin and eremomycin was 1:2.4 or 1:3.6. Eremomycin had a dose-depended nephrotoxicity. Summing up of the nephrotoxic action of the drugs on their combined use was observed.     

Structure-activity relationships in a series of semisynthetic polycyclic glycopeptide antibiotics

The main achievements in the development of methods for the design of semisynthetic antibiotics of a new generation belonging to the group of polycyclic glycopeptides directed against infections caused by multidrug-resistant bacteria and dangerous human and animal viruses are reviewed. The review is focused on the results obtained at the Gauze Institute in the area of chemical modification of natural antibiotics (eremomycin, vancomycin, teicoplanin, etc.) directed toward modification of their antibacterial and/or antiviral activity. A special emphasis is placed on the study of the mechanisms of action of these antibiotics, which could be the basis of a rational approach to their chemical modification involving the transformation of the inner binding pocket and the peripheral regions of the molecules that participate in the formation of their complexes with targets. The recently discovered antiviral activity of modified glycopeptides antibiotics is also discussed. A possibility of obtaining new highly active anti-HIV-1 and anti-HIV-2 preparations on the basis of hydrophobic derivatives of the aglycones of glycopeptide antibiotics was demonstrated. New semisynthetic derivatives of antibiotics that exhibit a high antibacterial activity in vivo, have good pharmacological characteristics, and are promising for practical use are described.     

The structure and antimicrobial activity of the partial degradation products of the antibiotic eremomycin

Antimicrobial activity of partial degradation products of eremomycin, a new glycopeptide antibiotic, was studied. The products formed by eremomycin deglycosylation (deseremosaminyl eremomycin, eremosaminyl aglycone and aglycone) and elimination of the chlorine atom from the molecule aglycone moiety (dechloroeremomycin). The spectral data in favour of the compounds structure are presented. It was found that partial degradation led to a decrease in the antimicrobial activity of the antibiotic. Dechloreremomycin had the highest activity among the products. Its MIC for the methicillin-resistant strains of Staphylococcus aureus was only twice as low as that of the initial antibiotic.     

Ability of vancomycin-group antibiotics to induce or to inhibit thrombocyte agglutination

The effect of 4 vancomycin antibiotics on factor VIII-dependent agglutination of thrombocytes was studied. Significant similarity, both quantitative and qualitative, between ristocetin and ristomycin was found. In this connection ristomycin may be used for determination of the so-called ristocetin cofactor. Actinoidin and vancomycin inhibited agglutination of platelets induced by ristocetin or ristomycin in platelet-enriched plasma with citrate or EDTA the same as in the system contaning platelets treated with formalin and did not inhibit agglutination induced by the bovine factor VIII. The 4 antibiotics induced precipitation of the plasma protein. Vancomycin was most active and actinoidin ws lest active in this respect. Ristocetin and ristomycin also possessed such capacity, the effect of the latter being higher. Actinoidin and vancomycin did not prevent the immediate effect of light absorption increasing due to addition of ristocetin or ristomycin to fixed platelets in concentrations completely inhibiting agglutination of platelets in the presence of the protein cofactor. Inhibition of this direct effect of ristocetin and ristomycin was observd only at higher concentrations, which indicated that this effect was not probably associated with agglutination. The results of the study on various ristomycin derivatives showed that methylated carboxylic groups and free hydroxyls of phenol may play the main role in ristomycin binding with the thrombocytic membrane and/or protein cofactor.     

Chemical modification of ristomycin A with bifunctional reagents

Various bifunctional reagents by the free NH2 group of ristomycinic acid of ristomycin A were used for selective chemical modification of the antibiotic. The bifunctional reagents were the following: di-N-hydroxysuccinimide ether of suberic acid and 4,4'-difluoro-3,3'-dinitrodiphenylsulfone. Bis-N,N'-derivatives of ristomycin A were prepared using these reagents. The derivatives inhibited the growth of Bac. subtilis but the concentrations required for the inhibition were 2-4 times higher than those of ristomycin A. It was noted that the MIC of the bis-N,N'-derivatives depended on the length and flexibility of the "binding foot". The MIC of the bis-N,N'-derivative prepared with using suberic acid was 2 times higher than that of the derivative prepared with the use of 4,4'-difluoro-3,3'-dinitrodiphenylsulfone.