Effects of Antibiotics on the Bactericidal Activity of Human Serum
Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy (1982)9,141-148 Effects of antibiotics on the bactericidal activity of human serum Downloaded from https://academic.oup.com/jac/article/9/2/141/712569 by guest on 28 September 2021 Anna Fietta, Patrizia Mangiarotti and Giuliana Gialdroni Grassi Istituto Forlanini, University ofPavia, Italy The interaction between several antibiotics and either normal human serum or EGTA-chelated Mg-treated serum has been tested. Synergism has been observed with rifampicin, tetracycline and doxycycline, but not with minocycline, amino- glycosides (kanamycin, tobramycin, gentamicin, sisomicin and amikacin), chloramphenicol, fosfomycin and erythromycin. It has been demonstrated that Escherichia coli K12 strains bearing plasmids, conferring resistance to tetra- cycline, were killed in the presence of serum. Evidence has been presented that this synergistic action depends on com- plement and can be abolished by serum treatment with ethyleneglycol-tetraacetic acid. Introduction Interference of antimicrobial agents on several reactions involved in the host defence system has been demonstrated by many authors. It has been suggested that resistance to serum bactericidal activity can be an important factor in determining virulence of some Gram-negative bacteria (Durack & Beeson, 1977; Elgefors & Oiling, 1978; Howard & Glynn, 1971; McCabe et al., 1978; Medearis & Kenny, 1968; Oiling et al, 1973; Roantree & Rantz, 1960; Rowley, 1954), and serum bactericidal activity is an important mechanism of defence against bacterial invasion and spread (Agnella, 1978; McCabe et al, 1978; Roantree & Rantz, 1960; Johnston & Strand, 1977). Many Gram-negative Enterobacteriaceae causing bacteraemia are resistant to the bactericidal action of serum (Rowley & Wardlaw, 1958; Vosti & Randall, 1970). Conversion of serum-resistant Escherichia coli to serum-susceptible has been observed after treatment with diphenylamine (Feingold, 1969).
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