TY - JOUR
T1 - Effect of metronidazole on Escherichia coli in the presence of Bacteroides fragilis:
T2 - An investigation in mice
AU - Reznikov, Michael
AU - McDonald, Peter J.
PY - 1983
Y1 - 1983
N2 - The observation that, in rats, metronidazole exhibited antimicrobial activity against resistant Escherichia coli (when this was accompanied by susceptible Bacteroides fragilis) prompted us to attempt to reproduce this phenomenon in another species and under other experimental conditions. In experiment 1, mice injected intraperito-neally with an E. coli/B. fragilis mixture were treated with metronidazole, 250 mg/kg given by mouth at 0 and 10 h, or left untreated. At 24 h, viable counts of bacteria in blood and peritoneal washings were determined. In experiment 2, mice with 5-day-old subcutaneous abscesses containing E. coli and B. fragilis were also either given metronidazole as above or left untreated. At 24 h, viable counts of bacteria in pus were determined. Metronidazole affected neither the frequency with which E. coli persisted at the three sites, nor the viability of E. coli at these sites. This was so despite the fact that, in each of the sites, a significant B.fragllis kill was registered. Thus, pending elucidation of the mechanism by which the phenomenon operates, its non-appearance in these experiments cautions against the extrapolation of the original observations beyond the circumstances under which they were first made.
AB - The observation that, in rats, metronidazole exhibited antimicrobial activity against resistant Escherichia coli (when this was accompanied by susceptible Bacteroides fragilis) prompted us to attempt to reproduce this phenomenon in another species and under other experimental conditions. In experiment 1, mice injected intraperito-neally with an E. coli/B. fragilis mixture were treated with metronidazole, 250 mg/kg given by mouth at 0 and 10 h, or left untreated. At 24 h, viable counts of bacteria in blood and peritoneal washings were determined. In experiment 2, mice with 5-day-old subcutaneous abscesses containing E. coli and B. fragilis were also either given metronidazole as above or left untreated. At 24 h, viable counts of bacteria in pus were determined. Metronidazole affected neither the frequency with which E. coli persisted at the three sites, nor the viability of E. coli at these sites. This was so despite the fact that, in each of the sites, a significant B.fragllis kill was registered. Thus, pending elucidation of the mechanism by which the phenomenon operates, its non-appearance in these experiments cautions against the extrapolation of the original observations beyond the circumstances under which they were first made.
KW - Abscess
KW - Antimicrobial effect in mice
KW - Bacîeroides fragilis
KW - Metronidazole - Escherichia coli
KW - Peritoneal cavity
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=0020536219&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1159/000238201
DO - 10.1159/000238201
M3 - Article
C2 - 6347547
AN - SCOPUS:0020536219
SN - 0009-3157
VL - 29
SP - 225
EP - 229
JO - Chemotherapy
JF - Chemotherapy
IS - 3
ER -