Antibiotic-induced release of endotoxin from bacteria in vitro

• Published in: Journal of medical microbiology Vol. 40; no. 1; pp. 23 - 30
• Main Authors: Crosby, Heather A, Bion, J. F, Penn, C. W, Elliott, T. S. J
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Reading Soc General Microbiol 01.01.1994; Society for General Microbiology
• Subjects: Anti-Bacterial Agents - pharmacology; Bacteriology; Biological and medical sciences; Cefotaxime - pharmacology; Ciprofloxacin - pharmacology; Colony Count, Microbial; Endotoxins - metabolism; Enterobacter cloacae - drug effects; Enterobacter cloacae - metabolism; Enterobacter cloacae - ultrastructure; Escherichia coli - drug effects; Escherichia coli - metabolism; Escherichia coli - ultrastructure; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Humans; Limulus Test; Lipopolysaccharides - analysis; Microbiology; Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; Pathogenicity, virulence, toxins, bacteriocins, pyrogens, host-bacteria relations, miscellaneous strains; Piperacillin - pharmacology; Silver Staining; Tobramycin - pharmacology; Antibiotic; Enterobacter cloacae; Medium effect; Escherichia coli; Morphology; Microorganism culture; Bacteria; Environmental factor; Endotoxin; Release; Enterobacteriaceae
• ISSN: 0022-2615; 1473-5644
• DOI: 10.1099/00222615-40-1-23

* Departments of Clinical Microbiology Intensive Care, Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Birmingham B15 2TH School of Biological Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham B15 2TT Received December 22, 1992 Surmmary: The ability of cefotaxime, ciprofloxacin, piperacillin and tobramycin to cause release of endotoxin was examined in vitro with cultures of Enterobacter cloacae and Escherichia coli . Endotoxin was measured by a quantitative limulus amoebocyte lysate assay and its presence was confirmed by silver staining of the lipopolysaccharide moiety following SDS-PAGE. The morphology of the bacteria during antibiotic exposure was examined by scanning electronmicroscopy. Cefotaxime, ciprofloxacin and piperacillin caused significant endotoxin release, correlating with their ability to affect cell-wall morphology, causing filamentation, wall breakage and cell lysis. In contrast, little endotoxin was released when bacteria were exposed to tobramycin and no morphological changes were observed when bacteria were exposed to bactericidal concentrations of this aminoglycoside. Its antimicrobial spectrum and bactericidal activity make tobramycin an appropriate agent for treatment of sepsis caused by gram-negative bacteria and its lack of propensity to elicit excessive release of endotoxin may avoid exacerbation of endotoxin-related shock in sepsis. * Correspondence should be sent to Dr T. S. J. Elliott.