Effect of antibiotics on endotoxin release from gram-negative bacteria

• Published in: Diagnostic microbiology and infectious disease Vol. 16; no. 3; pp. 185 - 189
• Main Authors: Eng, Robert H.K., Smith, Sharon M., Fan-Havard, Patty, Ogbara, Tajudeen
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York, NY Elsevier Inc 01.03.1993; Elsevier
• Subjects: Anti-Bacterial Agents - classification; Anti-Bacterial Agents - pharmacology; Antibacterial agents; Antibiotics. Antiinfectious agents. Antiparasitic agents; Biological and medical sciences; Endotoxins - metabolism; Enterobacter cloacae - drug effects; Enterobacter cloacae - growth & development; Escherichia coli - drug effects; Escherichia coli - growth & development; Gram-Negative Bacteria - drug effects; Gram-Negative Bacteria - growth & development; Humans; Klebsiella pneumoniae - drug effects; Klebsiella pneumoniae - growth & development; Medical sciences; Pharmacology. Drug treatments; Pseudomonas aeruginosa - drug effects; Pseudomonas aeruginosa - growth & development; Microorganism culture; Enterotoxin; Antibiotic; Drug susceptibility test; Secretion; Gram negative bacteria
• ISSN: 0732-8893; 1879-0070
• DOI: 10.1016/0732-8893(93)90109-K

Antibiotics may inhibit bacterial growth or may kill bacteria by inhibiting cell wall synthesis or protein synthesis. The amount of endotoxin released during antibiotic action has been found to be clinically important. Nine antibiotics, representing seven classes, were studied for the amounts of endotoxin released during their action on susceptible strains of Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Enterobacter cloacae, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Staphylococcus aureus, which produces no endotoxin, was used as a control organism. Aztreonam induced the highest release of endotoxin, whereas other antibiotics such as imipenem and the quinolones induced the lowest release of endotoxin. Although the quantities of endotoxin released are not easily explained from the established mechanisms of antibiotic action, our findings may have implications for therapy of the acutely ill, septic patient in whom release of large quantities of endotoxin may be catastrophic.