The bactericidal activity of levofloxacin was compared with that of four other quinolones and one cephalosporin against four strains of Streptococcus pneumoniae with varying degrees of penicillin G susceptibility. Levofloxacin was found to be the most bactericidal quinolone at its optimum bactericidal concentration, followed by ofloxacin, ciprofloxacin, sparfloxacin and D-ofloxacin, in that ord...

Background and Objectives:  The most common problems limiting the medical use of aminoglycosides have been the nephro- and oto-toxicities as well as the increasing bacterial resistance. Encapsulation of drugs into liposomes enhances their efficacy while reducing their toxicities. The aim of this study was to evaluate the antimicrobial activity of free and liposomal amikacin. Material and Metho...

Reassessment of the ;gastric bactericidal barrier' to enteric bacteria in man included studies of the bactericidal activity of (1) the normal and achlorhydric stomach in vivo and (2) normal and achlorhydric gastric juice and other media in vitro. Within 30 minutes virtually all bacteria (Serratia marcescens) were eliminated in the normal stomach whereas no reduction occurred in the achlorhydric...

Recent observations from Africa have rekindled interest in the role of serum bactericidal antibodies in protecting against systemic infection with Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium. To determine whether the findings are applicable to other populations, we analyzed serum samples collected from healthy individuals in the United States. We found that all but 1 of the 49 adult samples tested ...

BACKGROUND Glycerol monolaurate (GML) is an antimicrobial agent that has potent activity against gram-positive bacteria. This study examines GML antibacterial activity in comparison to lauric acid, in broth cultures compared to biofilm cultures, and against a wide range of gram-positive, gram-negative, and non-gram staining bacteria. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS GML is ≥ 200 times more effe...

To develop a fully supervisable, monthly administered regimen for treatment of leprosy, the bactericidal effect of a single-dose combination of ofloxacin (OFLO) and minocycline (MINO), with or without rifampin (RMP), against Mycobacterium leprae was studied in the mouse footpad system and in previously untreated lepromatous leprosy patients. Bactericidal activity was measured by the proportiona...

The antibacterial activity of purified rabbit lysozyme was kinetically investigated at concentrations comparable to those in normal rabbit serum and plasma serum. The bactericidal capability, lysozyme content, and electrophoretic composition of "purified beta-lysin," fractionated from normal rabbit serum, were also examined. In contrast to the extensive antibacterial activity of dilute normal r...

Antibiotic therapy of infections caused by the emerging pathogen Mycobacterium abscessus is challenging due to the organism's natural resistance toward most clinically available antimicrobials. We investigated the bactericidal activity of antibiotics commonly administered in M. abscessus infections in order to better understand the poor therapeutic outcome. Time-kill curves were generated for c...

The complement cascade includes heat-labile proteins and care is required when handling serum in order to preserve its functional integrity. We have previously used a whole human serum bactericidal assay to show that antibody and an intact complement system are required in blood for killing of invasive isolates of Salmonella. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the conditions under whi...