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International audience; Guidelines for the management of carbapenemase-producing Enterobacterales (CPE) infections recommend a combination of two active agents, including meropenem if the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) is ≤8 mg/L. The therapeutic equivalence of meropenem generics has been challenged. We compared the bactericidal activity of meropenem innovator (AstraZeneca) and four generic products (Actavis, Kabi, Mylan and Panpharma), both in vitro and in vivo, in association with colistin. In vitro time-kill studies were performed at 4 × MIC. An experimental model of KPC-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae osteomyelitis was induced in rabbits by tibial injection of a sclerosing agent followed by 2 × 10 CFU of K. pneumoniae KPC-99YC (meropenem MIC = 4 mg/L; colistin MIC = 1 mg/L). At 14 days after inoculation, treatment for 7 days started in seven groups of ≥10 rabbits, including a control group, a colistin group, and one group for each meropenem product (i.e. the innovator and four generics), in combination with colistin. In vitro, meropenem + colistin was bactericidal with no viable bacteria after 6 h, and this effect was similar with all meropenem products. In the osteomyelitis model, there was no significant difference between meropenem generics and the innovator when combined with colistin. Colistin-resistant strains were detected after treatment with colistin + meropenem innovator (n = 3) and generics (n = 3). The efficacy of four meropenem generics did not differ from the innovator in vitro and in an experimental rabbit model of KPC-producing K. pneumoniae osteomyelitis in terms of bactericidal activity and the emergence of resistance.

Carbapenemase-producing Enterobacteriaceae (CPE) are emerging multidrug-resistant bacteria responsible for invasive infections, including prosthetic joint infections (PJIs). Local administration of colistin may provide bactericidal concentrations in situ. This study evaluated the efficacy of a colistin-impregnated cement spacer, alone and in combination with systemic antibiotics, in a rabbit model of CPE-PJI. Elution of 3 MIU of colistimethate sodium (CMS) in 40 g of poly(methyl methacrylate) cement was studied in vitro. In vivo, 5 × 108 CFU of KPC-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae (colistin and meropenem MICs of 1 mg/L and 4 mg/L, respectively) were injected close to a prosthetic knee. Surgical debridement and prosthesis removal were performed 7 days later, and rabbits were assigned to six treatment groups (11–13 rabbits each): drug-free spacer; colistin-loaded spacer; colistin intramuscular (i.m.); colistin i.m. + colistin spacer; colistin i.m. + meropenem subcutaneous (s.c.); and colistin i.m. + meropenem s.c. + colistin spacer. Systemic treatment was administered at doses targeting pharmacokinetics in humans, and rabbits were euthanised 7 days later to evaluate bacterial counts in infected bones. In vitro, CMS elution was low ( 20 × MIC). In vivo, combinations of local and systemic colistin, with or without meropenem, were the only regimens superior to the control group (P ≤ 0.05) in terms of viable bacterial counts and the proportion of rabbits with sterile bone, with no emergence of colistin-resistant strains. Colistin-loaded cement spacer in combination with systemic antibiotics were the most effective regimens in this CPE-PJI model.

Background In France, Carbapenem-Resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) and Vancomycin-Resistant Enterococci (VRE) are considered as Extensively Drug-Resistant (XDR) bacteria. Their management requires reinforcement of hospital’s hygiene policies, and currently there is few consistent data concerning the spontaneous decolonization in XDR colonized patients. Our aim is to study the natural history of decolonization of XDR carriers over time in a hospital setting in a low prevalence country. Material and methods Retrospective multicenter study over 2 years (2015–2016) in 2 different tertiary care hospital sites and units having an agreement for permanent cohorting of such XDR carriers. We gathered the type of microorganisms, risk factors for colonization and rectal swabs from patient’s follow-up. We also evaluated patient care considering isolation precautions. Results We included 125 patients, aged 63+/−19y, including 72.8% of CRE (n = 91), 24.8% of VRE (n = 31) and 2.4% (n = 3) co-colonized with CRE and VRE. CRE were mainly E. coli (n = 54), K. pneumoniae (n = 51) and E. cloacae (n = 6). Mechanisms of resistance were mainly OXA-48 (n = 69), NDM-1 (n = 11), OXA-232 (n = 8) and KPC (n = 3). Prior antibiotic therapy was reported in 38.4% (n = 48) of cases. Conversely, 17.6% (n = 22) received antibiotics during follow-up. Spontaneous decolonization occurred within the first 30 days in 16.4% (n = 19/116) of cases and up to 48.2% after day-90 with a median follow-up of 96 days (0–974). We estimated that XDR carriage was associated with a larger care burden in 13.6% (n = 17) of cases, especially due to a prolongation of hospitalization of 32.5 days (15–300). Conclusions Our study shows that spontaneous decolonization is increasing over time (up to 48.2%). We can regret that only few patients underwent screening after 1 year, emphasizing the need for more monitoring and prospective studies.

International audience; Objectives - Daptomycin has become a first-line therapeutic option for vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium infective endocarditis (IE). Although high doses (≥8 mg/kg) are often recommended, optimal doses, particularly for strains with MICs close to the susceptibility breakpoint (4 mg/L), are still debated.Methods - Daptomycin efficacy at doses equivalent to 8 mg/kg daptomycin (DAP8) and 12 mg/kg daptomycin (DAP12) in humans was evaluated in a rabbit model of aortic valve IE induced by 108 cfu of E. faecium reference strain Aus0004 (daptomycin MIC = 2 mg/L) or its in vitro mutant strain Mut4 (daptomycin MIC = 4 mg/L). Treatment began 48 h post-inoculation and lasted 5 days.Results - With Aus0004, the median log10 cfu/g of vegetations was significantly lower after DAP8 and DAP12 versus controls [6.05 (n = 12) and 2.15 (n = 10) versus 9.14 (n = 11), respectively; P Conclusions - DAP12 was the most successful strategy against IE due to a WT E. faecium strain (daptomycin MIC = 2 mg/L). To treat IE strains with MIC = 4 mg/L, DAP8 or DAP12 monotherapy was poorly effective with the risk of resistant mutant emergence. Reassessment of the daptomycin susceptibility breakpoint for enterococci seems necessary.

International audience; INTRODUCTION: In bone and joint infections (BJIs), bacterial toxins are major virulence factors: Panton-Valentine leukocidin (PVL) expression leads to severe local damage, including bone distortion and abscesses, while α-hemolysin (Hla) production is associated with severe sepsis-related mortality. Recently, other toxins, namely phenol-soluble modulins (PSMs) expressed by community-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (CA-MRSA) strain USA300 (LAC WT) were shown to have ex vivo intracellular cytotoxic activity after S. aureus invasion of osteoblasts, but their in vivo contribution in a relatively PVL-sensitive osteomyelitis model remains poorly elucidated. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We compared the outcomes of experimental rabbit osteomyelitises induced with pvl+hla+psms+ LAC WT and its isogenic Δpsm derivatives (LAC Δpsmα and LAC Δpsmαβhld) using an inoculum of 3 \texttimes 108 CFUs. Mortality, hematogenous spread (blood culture, spleen and kidney), lung and bone involvements were assessed in two groups (non-survivors of severe sepsis and survivors sacrificed on day (D) 14). RESULTS: Severe sepsis-related mortality tended to be lower for Δpsm derivatives (Kaplan-Meier curves, P = .06). Non-survivors' bone LAC-Δpsmα (6.9 log10 CFUs/g of bone, P = .04) or -Δpsmαβhld (6.86 log10 CFUs/g of bone, P = .014) densities were significantly higher than LAC WT (6.43 log10 CFUs/g of bone). Conversely, lung Δpsmαβhld CFUs were significantly lower than LAC WT (P = .04). LAC Δpsmα, Δpsmαβhld and WT induced similar bone damage in D14 survivors, with comparable bacterial densities (respectively: 5.89, 5.91, and 6.15 log10 CFUs/g of bone). Meanwhile, pulmonary histological scores of inflammation were significantly higher for LAC Δpsmα- and Δpsmαβhld-infected rabbits compared to LAC WT (P = .04 and .01, respectively) but with comparable lung bacterial densities. CONCLUSION: Our experimental results showed that deactivating PSM peptides significantly limited bacterial dissemination from bone during the early phase of infection, but did not affect local severity of USA300 rabbit osteomyelitis.

Introduction La daptomycine apparait comme un antibiotique de premiere ligne dans le traitement de l’endocardite infectieuse [EI] a enterocoques resistants a la vancomycine. De fortes doses sont necessaires, mais les posologies optimales, notamment pour traiter les souches d’Enterococcus faecium ayant une CMI proche du seuil de sensibilite (4 mg/L), ne sont pas connues. Materiels et methodes Dans un modele experimental d’EI chez le lapin, des posologies equivalentes a 8 et 12 mg/kg (DAP8 et DAP12) ont ete testees sur des souches d’E. faecium ayant des CMI de la daptomycine a 2 (souche Aus0004) et 4 mg/L (Mut4, mutant obtenu in vitro). Les numerations bacteriennes des vegetations ont ete comparees entre les differents groupes de traitement. Nous avons ensuite estime l’emergence de mutants resistants sur des milieux additionnes de daptomycine. Resultats Pour la souche Aus0004, DAP8 et DAP12 permettaient de reduire significativement la charge bacterienne des vegetations par rapport au groupe controle (6,05 et 2,15 vs 9,14 log10 CFU/g respectivement, p 0,999) et aucune ne permettait de steriliser les vegetations. Avec DAP8, 8,3 % des vegetations infectees par Aus0004 et 63,6 % des vegetations infectees par Mut4 presentaient des mutants resistants. Avec DAP12, 77,8 % des vegetations infectees par Mut4 presentaient des mutants resistants. Conclusion Une posologie de 12 mg/kg semble la plus adaptee dans le traitement des EI a E. faecium ayant une CMI de la daptomycine a 2 mg/L. Dans le traitement des EI dues a une souche ayant une CMI a 4 mg/L, la daptomycine en monotherapie entraine l’emergence de resistance. Une reevaluation de la concentration critique de sensibilite a la daptomycine pour les enterocoques semble necessaire.

Ceftaroline (CPT), the active metabolite of the prodrug ceftaroline-fosamil (CPT-F), demonstrates in vitro bactericidal activity against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and is effective in rabbit models of difficult-to-treat MRSA endocarditis and acute osteomyelitis. However, its in vivo efficacy in a prosthetic joint infection (PJI) model is unknown. Using a MRSA-infected knee PJI model in rabbits, the efficacies of CPT-F or vancomycin (VAN) alone and combined with rifampin (RIF) were compared. After each partial knee replacement with a silicone implant that fit into the tibial intramedullary canal was performed, 5 × 10 7 MRSA CFU (MICs of 0.38, 0.006, and 1 mg/liter for CPT, RIF, and VAN, respectively) was injected into the knee. Infected animals were randomly assigned to receive no treatment (controls) or CPT-F (60 mg/kg of body weight intramuscularly [i.m.]), VAN (60 mg/kg i.m.), CPT-F plus RIF (10 mg/kg i.m.), or VAN plus RIF starting 7 days postinoculation and lasting for 7 days. Surviving bacteria in crushed tibias were counted 3 days after ending treatment. Although the in vivo mean log 10 CFU/g of CPT-treated (3.0 ± 0.9, n = 12) and VAN-treated (3.5 ± 1.1, n = 12) crushed bones was significantly lower than those of controls (5.6 ± 1.1, n = 14) ( P < 0.001), neither treatment fully sterilized the bones (3/12 were sterile with each treatment). The mean log 10 CFU/g values for the antibiotics in combination with RIF were 1.9 ± 0.5 (12/14 were sterile) for CPT-F and 1.9 ± 0.5 (12/14 were sterile) for VAN. In this MRSA PJI model, the efficacies of CPT-F and VAN did not differ; thus, CPT appears to be a promising antimicrobial agent for the treatment of MRSA PJIs.

We investigated the activity of LY333328 alone and combined with gentamicin, both in vitro and in a rabbit model of experimental endocarditis, against the susceptible strain Enterococcus faecalis JH2-2 and its two glycopeptide-resistant transconjugants, BM4316 (VanA) and BM4275 (VanB). MICs of LY333328 and gentamicin were 2 and 16 μg/ml, respectively, for the three strains. In vitro, LY333328 alone was bactericidal at 24 h against JH2-2 at a concentration of 2 μg/ml and against BM4316 and BM4275 at a concentration of 30 μg/ml. The combination of LY333328 and gentamicin (4 μg/ml) was synergistic and bactericidal after 24 h of incubation against the three strains at LY333328 concentrations of 2 μg/ml for JH2-2 and 8 μg/ml for BM4275 and BM4316. The combination of LY333328 and gentamicin was the only regimen demonstrating in vitro bactericidal activity against BM4316. In vivo, intravenous treatment with LY333328 alone, providing peak and trough serum levels of 83.3 ± 1.3 and 3.8 ± 0.2 μg/ml, respectively, was inactive against BM4316 and BM4275 and selected mutants resistant to LY333328 in half of the rabbits infected with the VanA-type strain (MICs, 8 to 20 μg/ml). However, the LY333328-gentamicin combination was active against the three strains and prevented the emergence of mutants resistant to both components of the combination. We conclude that the LY333328-gentamicin combination might be of interest for the treatment of enterococcal infections, particularly against VanA-type strains.

Background. Severe sepsis, combining acute osteomyelitis and lung involvement, has been described increasingly in healthy children with the spread of community-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (CAMRSA). Methods. Outcomes (mortality, hematogenous spread, lung and bone involvements) of rabbit osteomyelitis caused by CA-MRSA LAC WT USA300 and its Panton-Valentine leukocidin (PVL)- and α-hemolysin (Hla)-negative isogenic derivatives (LACΔpvl and LACΔhla, respectively) were compared. Results. Three days after inoculation (D3), all LAC WT - and LACΔpvl-, and 72% of LACΔhla-infected rabbits had no hematogenous spread and similar lung and bone bacterial densities. LACΔpvl and LACΔhla caused less severe histological lung lesions than LAC WT (P ≤ .01). Between D3 and D9, 10 (53%) LAC WT -, 11 (55%) LACΔpvl-, but no LACΔhla-infected rabbits (P< .005) died of severe sepsis with disseminated infection. Unlike deceased animals, most LAC WT ,L ACΔpvl, and LACΔhla D14 survivors had no hematogenous spread (P< .001). LAC WT (88%) caused more bone abscesses than LACΔpvl (0, P= .001) or LACΔhla (30%, P= .01). Conclusion. In this model, both PVL and Hla seemed to be required for early lung involvement via hematogenous spread. Hla, but not PVL, significantly impacted severe sepsis-related mortality. PVL was the predominant factor determining late-stage bone abscesses.

Using a new rabbit model of methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus knee prosthesis infection, we compared the efficacies of sparfloxacin (50 mg/kg of body weight subcutaneously, twice a day) and pefloxacin (50 mg/kg subcutaneously, twice a day). A partial knee replacement was performed with a silicone implant fitted into the intramedullary canal of the tibia, and 5 x 10(7) CFU of methicillin-susceptible S. aureus was injected into the knee. The 7-day treatment regimen was started 15 days later. The MICs and MBCs of sparfloxacin and pefloxacin were, respectively, 0.06 and 0.25 microgram/ml (MIC) and 0.25 and 1 microgram/ml (MBC). The peak levels of sparfloxacin and pefloxacin in serum were 3.6 and 21 micrograms/ml, respectively. Three weeks after the end of treatment, animals were sacrificed and tibias were removed, pulverized, and quantitatively cultured. In contrast to pefloxacin (3.61 +/- 1.64 log10 CFU/g of bone), sparfloxacin significantly reduced the bacterial density (2.12 +/- 1.1 log10 CFU/g of bone) (P = 0.01) in comparison with the level in controls (4.59 +/- 1.21 log10 CFU/g of bone), without selection of resistant variants. Sparfloxacin was significantly more effective than pefloxacin (P = 0.025). The autoradiographic pattern of [14C]sparfloxacin diffusion was studied in noninfected animals with prostheses and in infected animals 15 days after inoculation. Sixty minutes after completion of infusion of 250 microCi of [14C]sparfloxacin, in infected animals the highest levels of radioactivity were detected around the prosthesis, in femoral cartilage, and in articular ligaments. Radioactivity was slightly less intense in bone marrow and muscles and was very weak in compact bone. The distribution of sparfloxacin in uninfected rabbits was similar. Thus, sparfloxacin may represent a valid alternative therapy in these infections provided that it is carefully monitored for potential side effects.

Background Previous studies of both clinically-derived and in vitro passage-derived daptomycin–resistant (DAP-R) Staphylococcus aureus strains demonstrated the coincident emergence of increased DAP MICs and resistance to host defense cationic peptides (HDP-R). Methods In the present investigation, we studied a parental DAP-susceptible (DAP-S) methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) strain and three isogenic variants with increased DAP MICs which were isolated from both DAP-treated and DAP-untreated rabbits with prosthetic joint infections. These strains were compared for: in vitro susceptibility to distinct HDPs differing in size, structure, and origin; i.e.; thrombin-induced platelet microbicidal proteins [tPMPs] and human neutrophil peptide-1 [hNP-1]; cell membrane (CM) phospholipid and fatty acid content; CM order; envelope surface charge; cell wall thickness; and mprF single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and expression profiles. Results In comparison with the parental strain, both DAP-exposed and DAP-naive strains exhibited: (i) significantly reduced susceptibility to each HDP (P

Introduction Les infections peri-prothetiques sont responsables de morbidite et couts financiers importants. Parmi ces infections, les infections a Klebsiella pneumoniae resistantes aux carbapenemes (KPC) commencent a emerger, et imposent de nouveaux defis therapeutiques. Apres avoir mis au point un modele d’infection periprothetique de genou chez le lapin a KPC, nous avons voulu tester des antibiotherapies systemiques et locales, seules ou en association, par colimycine. Materiel et methodes La souche KPC99YC, issue d’une hemoculture chez un patient bacteriemique, et resistante a la gentamicine (CMI, 8 mg / L) intermediaire a l’imipeneme (CMI, 4 mg / L) sensible a la colimycine (CMI, 0,25 mg / L), et a la fosfomycine (CMI, 12 mg / L). Notre modele d’infection periprothetique consistait en le remplacement partiel de l’articulation du genou chez des lapins Neo-Zelandais femelles par un implant en silicone. Immediatement apres la fermeture de l’articulation, 1,2, 109 UFC de KPC99YC etait injecte dans l’articulation ? Les animaux etaient euthanasies a j14, et des echantillons de rate, de rein etaient preleves pour compte bacterien. Des hemocultures etaient egalement realisees le lendemain de l’inoculation. Quatre bras de traitement ont ete realises : 12 lapins temoins, 12 lapins traites par colimycine dans un espaceur en ciment (colimycine locale 3 MUI dans 40 g de ciment), 12 lapins traites par colimycine systemique (12 MUI kg 3 fois par jour pendant 7 jours) et 12 lapins traites par colimycine systemique et locale (aux memes doses que precedemment). Resultats Tous les lapins temoins etaient infectes. Au moment du sacrifice, la moyenne d’UFC g d’os retrouvait 4,62 log10 dans le groupe temoin, 3,99 log 10 dans le groupe colimycine locale, 4,56 log 10 dans le groupe colimycine systemique et 2,62 log 10 dans le groupe association colimycine locale et systemique. Aucun lapin n’etait sterile dans le groupe temoin, 3 dans le groupe colimycine locale, 3 dans le groupe colimycine systemique et 7 dans le groupe colimycine locale et systemique. Conclusion Le modele cree est un modele fiable et reproductible. La colimycine, surtout en association en traitement systemique et local dans un espaceur en ciment est un traitement qui semble prometteur pour les infections a KPC.

Concerns have recently emerged about the potency and the quality of generic vancomycin (VAN) products approved for use in humans, based on experiments in a neutropenic mouse thigh infection model. However, other animal models may be more appropriate to decipher the bactericidal activities of VAN generics in vivo and to predict their efficacy in humans. We aimed to compare the bactericidal activities of six generic VAN products currently used in France (Mylan and Sandoz), Spain (Hospira), Switzerland (Teva), and the United States (Akorn-Strides and American Pharmaceutical Products [APP]) in a rabbit model of aortic valve endocarditis induced by 8 × 10 7 CFU of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) strain COL (VAN MIC, 1.5 μg/ml). In vitro , there were no significant differences in the time-kill curve studies performed with the six generic VAN products. Ten rabbits in each group were treated with intravenous (i.v.) VAN, 60 mg/kg of body weight twice a day (b.i.d.) for 4 days. Mean peak serum VAN levels, measured 45 min after the last injection, ranged from 35.5 (APP) to 45.9 μg/ml (Teva). Mean trough serum VAN levels, measured 12 h after the last injection, ranged from 2.3 (Hospira) to 9.2 (APP) μg/ml. All generic VAN products were superior to controls (no treatment) in terms of residual organisms in vegetations ( P < 0.02 for each comparison) and in the spleen ( P < 0.005 for each comparison). Pairwise comparisons of generic VAN products found no significant differences. In conclusion, a stringent MRSA endocarditis model found no significant differences in the bactericidal activities of six generic VAN products currently used in Europe and America.

Community-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (CA-MRSA) can cause osteomyelitis with severe sepsis and/or local complications in which a Panton-Valentine leukocidin (PVL) role is suspected. In vitro sub-MIC antibiotic effects on growth and PVL production by 11 PVL + MRSA strains, including the major CA-MRSA clones (USA300, including the LAC strain; USA400; and USA1000), and 11 PVL + methicillin-susceptible S. aureus (MSSA) strains were tested in microplate culture. Time-kill analyses with ceftobiprole at its MIC were also run with LAC. Efficacies of ceftobiprole (40 mg/kg of body weight subcutaneously [s.c.] four times a day [q.i.d.]) or vancomycin (60 mg/kg intramuscularly [i.m.] twice a day [b.i.d.]) alone or combined with rifampin (10 mg/kg b.i.d.) against rabbit CA-MRSA osteomyelitis, induced by tibial injection of 3.4 × 10 7 CFU of LAC, were compared. Treatment, started 14 days postinoculation, lasted 14 days. In vitro , 6/11 strains cultured with sub-MICs of ceftobiprole produced 1.6- to 4.8-fold more PVL than did the controls, with no link to specific clones. Rifampin decreased PVL production by all tested strains. In time-kill analyses at the LAC MIC (0.75 mg/liter), PVL production rose transiently at 6 and 8 h and then declined 2-fold at 16 h, concomitant with a 2-log 10 -CFU-count decrease. In vivo , the mean log 10 CFU/g of bone for ceftobiprole (1.44 ± 0.40) was significantly lower than that for vancomycin (2.37 ± 1.22) ( P = 0.034), with 7/10 versus 5/11 bones sterilized, respectively. Combination with rifampin enhanced ceftobiprole (1.16 ± 0.04 CFU/g of bone [ P = 0.056], 11/11 sterile bones) and vancomycin (1.23 ± 0.06 CFU/g [ P = 0.011], 11/11 sterile bones) efficacies. Ceftobiprole bactericidal activity and the rifampin anti-PVL effect could play a role in these findings, which should be of interest for treating CA-MRSA osteomyelitis.

In endocarditis, exopolysaccharide production by viridans streptococci has been associated with delayed antimicrobial efficacy in cardiac vegetations. We compared the efficacies of temafloxacin alone and in combination with dextranase, an enzyme capable of hydrolyzing 20 to 90% of the bacterial glycocalyx, in a rabbit model of endocarditis. In in vivo experiments, rabbits were infected intravenously with 10(8) Streptococcus sanguis organisms and were treated 6 days later with temafloxacin (50 mg/kg of body weight intramuscularly twice a day) alone or combined with dextranase (1,000 U per rabbit per day intravenously). After 4 days of treatment (day 11), the animals were sacrificed and vegetations were quantitatively cultured. For ex vivo experiments, rabbits were infected as stated above and, on day 11, vegetations were excised aseptically and incubated in vitro in rabbit serum alone (control) or with temafloxacin or temafloxacin plus dextranase at concentrations similar to peak levels in plasma. In vitro, dextranase alone had no antimicrobial effect. In vivo and ex vivo, temafloxacin combined with dextranase was more effective than temafloxacin alone (P < 0.05). Our results suggest that dextranase is able to increase the effects of temafloxacin by reducing the amount of bacterial glycocalyx in infected vegetations, as confirmed in vitro by electron microscopy showing a markedly reduced amount of glycocalyx and a more clearly visible fibrin matrix.

We compared the efficacies of quinupristin-dalfopristin (Q-D; 30 mg/kg of body weight every 8 h) and vancomycin (60 mg/kg twice daily), alone or in combination with rifampin (10 mg/kg twice daily), in a rabbit model of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus knee prosthesis infection. In contrast to vancomycin, Q-D significantly reduced the mean log 10 CFU per gram of bone versus that for the controls. The combination of rifampin with either Q-D or vancomycin was significantly more effective than monotherapy.

Daptomycin is an attractive option for treating prosthetic joint infection, but the 6-mg/kg of body weight/day dose was linked to clinical failure and emergence of resistance. Using a methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) knee prosthesis infection in rabbits, we studied the efficacies of high-dose daptomycin (22 mg/kg given intravenously [i.v.] once daily [o.d.]; equivalent to 8 mg/kg/day in humans) or vancomycin (60 mg/kg given intramuscularly [i.m.] twice daily [b.i.d.]), both either alone or with adjunctive rifampin (10 mg/kg i.m. b.i.d.). After partial knee replacement with a silicone implant, 10 7 MRSA CFU was injected into the knees. Treatment started 7 days postinoculation and lasted 7 days. Positive cultures were screened for the emergence of mutant strains, defined as having 3-fold-increased MICs. Although in vivo mean log 10 CFU/g of daptomycin-treated (4.23 ± 1.44; n = 12) or vancomycin-treated (4.63 ± 1.08; n = 12) crushed bone was significantly lower than that of controls (5.93 ± 1.15; n = 9) ( P < 0.01), neither treatment sterilized bone (2/12 and 0/12 rabbits with sterile bone, respectively). Daptomycin mutant strains were found in 6/12, 3/12, and 2/9 daptomycin-treated, vancomycin-treated, and control rabbits, respectively; no resistant strains emerged (MIC was always P < 0.01) and prevented the emergence of daptomycin mutant strains. In this MRSA joint prosthesis infection model, combining rifampin with daptomycin was highly effective. Daptomycin mutant strains were isolated in vivo even without treatment, but adjunctive rifampin prevented this phenomenon, previously found after monotherapy in humans.

As joint prostheses become infected preventive strategies are needed. Silicone prostheses were coated with a COO - and SO3 - bearing bioactive copolymer, Q5, synthesized by radical polymerization and the adherence of Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus)to them was evaluated in vitro and in vivo. Copolymer Q5 contains tris(trimethylsiloxy) methacryloxy propyl silane favoring the compatibility with the silicone matrix, cinnamoyl ethyl methacrylate allowing a network formation at the surface of the silicone prostheses, two ionic monomers: methacrylic acid and sodium styrene sulfonate. In vitro experiments were conducted on Q5-coated silicone lenses and on Q5-coated silicone prostheses. In both cases, materials were incubated with fi-bronectin (Fn) because of its important role in S. aureus adherence to implant surfaces. The percentage of adhesion inhibition was observed at approximately 40% for the coated materials compared to the untreated silicone. Rabbits underwent double-blind partial knee replacements with Q5-coated or control implants fitted into the intramedullary canal of the tibia, and 10 7 bacteria were injected into the knees. The number of bacteria adherent on the prostheses was determined 24 hr later. Signifi-cantly fewer bacteria adhered to Q5-coated than control prostheses (2.26 +/- 0.76 vs 3.86 +/- 0.54 log10 CFU/ml; p0.0035). Bioactive polymer coating could provide a new method of preventing joint-prosthesis infections. (Journal of Applied BiomaterialsBiomechanics 2003; 1: 178-85).

Temafloxacin, a new fluoroquinolone, alone or in combination with tobramycin, was compared with penicillin, tobramycin, and their combination in the therapy of rabbits with endocarditis caused by Streptococcus adjacens GaDT, a new species of nutritionally variant streptococci. Animals were injected intramuscularly for 4 days with temafloxacin (50 mg/kg of body weight twice daily [b.i.d.]) alone or combined with tobramycin (12 mg/kg once daily), with procaine penicillin (150,000 U/kg b.i.d.) alone or combined with tobramycin (12 mg/kg once daily), or with tobramycin (12 mg/kg once daily) alone. Another group of animals was treated with a higher dose of temafloxacin (100 mg/kg b.i.d.). Temafloxacin, penicillin, and tobramycin MICs and MBCs were 1 and 2, 0.015 and 1, and 8 and 16 micrograms/ml, respectively. Time-kill curves showed that the addition of tobramycin to penicillin or temafloxacin increased the killing rate. In vivo, treatment with temafloxacin (50 and 100 mg/kg b.i.d.) alone reduced the bacterial counts in vegetations (3.9 +/- 0.9 and 3.1 +/- 0.8 log10 CFU/g of vegetation) compared with those in the vegetations of control animals (7.5 +/- 0.9 log10 CFU/g of vegetation). This result was similar to that obtained with penicillin alone (4.5 +/- 0.8 log10 CFU/g of vegetation). The combination of temafloxacin (50 mg/kg) and tobramycin was as effective as penicillin plus tobramycin (2.5 +/- 0.3 versus 2.3 +/- 0.4 log10 CFU/g of vegetation, respectively). The autoradiographic pattern of [14C]temafloxacin diffusion into infected cardiac vegetations was studied. Thirty minutes after the end of infusion of 250 microCi of [14C]temafloxacin, the [14C]temafloxacin was homogeneously distributed throughout the vegetations. These data support further evaluation of quinolones in experimental endocarditis.

The combination of levofloxacin and rifampin has been recommended for the treatment of staphylococcal prosthetic infection. In a rabbit model of prosthetic knee infection due to a susceptible clinical strain of Staphylococcus aureus , the combination of levofloxacin and rifampin was bactericidal, significantly reduced bacterial titers in bone compared with levels for rifampin and controls ( P < 0.05), sterilized 6 of 12 animals, and prevented the selection of resistant mutants that was observed with rifampin alone, validating clinical recommendations.

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Using a rabbit model of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus knee-prosthesis infection, we studied the efficacy of teicoplanin cement alone or in combination with systemic intramuscular (i.m.) injections of teicoplanin. Seven days after infection, surgical debridement and removal of the infected prostheses were performed, and five rabbits were randomly assigned to one of five different treatment groups: untreated controls, prosthesis replacement by drug-free cement spacer, prosthesis replacement by teicoplanin-loaded cement spacer (1.2 g of teicoplanin/40 g of cement), i.m. injections of teicoplanin (20 mg/kg of body weight, twice a day for 7 days), or systemic antibiotic treatment combined with teicoplanin-loaded spacers. The most effective regimen combined systemic teicoplanin and antibiotic spacers.

The activity of tigecycline (GAR-936), a novel glycylcycline, was investigated in vitro and in experimental endocarditis due to the susceptible Enterococcus faecalis JH2-2 strain, its VanA type transconjugant BM4316, and a clinical VanA type strain, E. faecium HB217 resistant to tetracycline. MICs of GAR-936 were 0.06 μg/ml for the three strains. In vitro pharmacodynamic studies demonstrated a bacteriostatic effect of GAR-936 that was not enhanced by increasing concentrations to more than 1 μg/ml and a postantibiotic effect ranging from 1 to 4.5 h for concentrations of 1- to 20-fold the MIC. Intravenous injection of [ 14 C]GAR-936 to five rabbits with enterococcal endocarditis sacrificed 30 min, 4 h, or 12 h after the end of the infusion evidenced a lower clearance of GAR-936 from aortic vegetations than from serum and a homogeneous diffusion of GAR-936 into the vegetations. In rabbits with endocarditis, GAR-936 (14 mg/kg of body weight twice a day [b.i.d.]) given intravenously for 5 days was bacteriostatic against both strains of E. faecalis . Against E. faecium HB217, bacterial counts in vegetations significantly decreased during therapy ( P < 0.01), and the effect was similar with GAR-936 at 14 mg/kg b.i.d., 14 mg/kg once a day (o.d.), and 7 mg/kg o.d., which provided concentrations in serum constantly above the MIC. Mean serum elimination half-life ranged from 3.3 to 3.6 h. No GAR-936-resistant mutants were selected in vivo with any regimen. We concluded that the combination of prolonged half-life, significant postantibiotic effect, and good and homogeneous diffusion into the vegetations may account for the in vivo activity of GAR-936 against enterococci susceptible or resistant to glycopeptides and tetracyclines, even when using a o.d. regimen in rabbits.

Ciprofloxacin, a quinolone antibiotic drug, binds to DNA topoisomerase IV and DNA gyrase of various bacteria. Thus ciprofloxacin labeled with (99m)Tc could potentially act as a specific marker allowing discrimination between infection and sterile inflammation. We evaluated these properties on a rabbit model of prosthetic joint infection previously validated. We compared the images obtained in 2 groups of animals: rabbits with infected (G1; n = 6) and uninfected (G2; n = 7) prosthesis.Partial right-knee arthroplasty was performed on 13 New Zealand White female rabbits, with a tibial silicone-elastomer implant fitting into the intramedullary canal of the tibia. After the surgical wound was closed, 10(7) cfu of a clinical strain of methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus were injected into the joint in G1 rabbits. G2 rabbits were injected with sterile saline. No antibiotic therapy was given to the animals. (99m)Tc-ciprofloxacin planar imaging was performed on days 5, 12, and 19 after surgery, and after 3 mo in 1 uninfected rabbit. Images were obtained 1, 4, and 24 h after injection (147 +/- 13 MBq).In G1, increased right knee (99m)Tc-ciprofloxacin uptake was observed in 3 of 5 rabbits on day 5, and in all cases on days 12 and 19. Killing of the animals revealed purulent arthritis, osteitis, and tibial myelitis. In G2, significant right-knee uptake was found on days 12 and 19 in 5 of 6 rabbits, and after 3 mo in 1; all sets of images were negative in 1 animal. Bacteriologic studies after the animals were killed were negative in G2. Mean right/left knee uptake ratios on day 19 (4-h images) were 1.8 +/- 0.4 in G1 versus 1.4 +/- 0.3 in G2 (not significant). Late images did not discriminate between infected and uninfected arthroplasty.Results of (99m)Tc-ciprofloxacin imaging in rabbits with infected/uninfected knee prosthesis suggest good sensitivity but lack of specificity for the detection of S. aureus infection.

The activity of LY333328 against Enterococcus faecalis JH2-2, which is susceptible to glycopeptides, and against its transconjugants E. faecalis BM4281 and BM4316, with VanB and VanA phenotypes, respectively, was investigated. LY333328 was active in vitro against the three strains, for which MICs were 2 μg/ml on agar and 0.25 μg/ml in broth. LY333328 was bactericidal in broth against E. faecalis JH2-2 and BM4281 at a concentration of 8 μg/ml and against BM4316 at a concentration of 30 μg/ml. The protein binding of LY333328 to rabbit serum was >99%, and the bactericidal activity of LY333328 in broth was reduced when it was tested in the presence of 90% rabbit serum. Autoradiographic studies performed in rabbits with enterococcal endocarditis showed that 14 [C]LY333328 was distributed heterogeneously throughout cardiac vegetations. In rabbits with aortic endocarditis, a regimen of 20 mg of LY333328 per kg of body weight administered intramuscularly twice a day for 5 days after a loading dose of 40 mg/kg was active against the three strains in vivo ( P < 0.01), whereas vancomycin was not active against the VanB-type strain and teicoplanin was not active against the VanA-type strain. We conclude that the activity of LY333328 is not significantly modified by acquired resistance to glycopeptides in E. faecalis either in vitro or in experimental endocarditis.

Prosthesis infections are difficult to cure. Infection with methicillin-resistant staphylococci is becoming more common in patients with orthopedic implants. Using a recently developed model of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infection of a knee prosthesis, we compared the efficacies of teicoplanin and vancomycin. [ 14 C]teicoplanin diffusion in this model was also studied by autoradiography. A partial knee replacement was performed with a silicone implant fitting into the intramedullary canal of the tibia, and 10 7 CFU of MRSA was injected into the knee. Treatment with teicoplanin or vancomycin (20 or 60 mg/kg of body weight, respectively, given intramuscularly twice daily) was started 7 days after inoculation and was continued for 7 days. The teicoplanin and vancomycin MICs for MRSA were 1 μg/ml. Mean peak and trough levels in serum were 39.1 and 23.5 μg/ml, respectively, for teicoplanin and 34.4 and 18.5 μg/ml, respectively, for vancomycin. Fifteen days after the end of therapy, the animals were killed and their tibias were removed, pulverized, and quantitatively cultured. Teicoplanin and vancomycin significantly reduced ( P < 0.05) the bacterial density (2.7 ± 1.3 and 3.3 ± 1.6 log 10 CFU/g of bone, respectively) compared to those for the controls (5.04 ± 1.4 log 10 CFU/g of bone). The bacterial covents of teicoplanin- and vancomycin-treated rabbits were comparable. The [ 14 C]teicoplanin autoradiographic diffusion patterns in rabbits with prostheses, two of which were uninfected and two of which were infected, were studied 15 days after inoculation. Sixty minutes after the end of an infusion of 250 μCi of [ 14 C]teicoplanin, autoradiography showed that in the infected animals, the highest levels of radioactivity were located around the prosthesis and in the periosteum, bone marrow, and trabecular bone. Radioactivity was less intense in epiphyseal disk cartilage, femoral cartilage, articular ligaments, and muscles and was weak in compact bone. A similar distribution pattern was seen in uninfected rabbits. Thus, teicoplanin may represent an effective alternative therapy for the treatment of these infections.

Partial knee arthroplasty was done in rabbits with a silicone-elastomer implant. Immediately after closing the surgical wound, 5 x 10(6) cfu of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus was injected into the joint. Disease evolution was studied at different stages of infection up to 8 weeks. Prosthetic infection developed in all animals. Gross pathology and histopathologic changes were characteristic of joint and bone infection. Quantitative bacterial counts from infected bone confirmed disease chronicity. The mean number of colony-forming units per gram of bone +/- SD 1 week after infection was 4.84 +/- 0.24 log10 cfu/g and remained stable from week 1 to week 8. Magnetic resonance imaging showed evidence of prosthetic infection as of week 1, while only mild radiologic changes of bone were seen 2 weeks after infection. This model produces a prosthetic infection that is reproducible and close to that of human prosthetic infection.

The influence of the pre-treatment duration of infection on the efficacies of three different antibiotic regimens was investigated in a rabbit model of subacute endocarditis caused by a novel, nutritionally-variant species, Streptococcus adjacens strain GaDT. Treatment was initiated either 6 or 10 days after bacterial inoculation (days 7 and 11 respectively) and comprised procaine penicillin (150,000 IU/kg bd), alone or combined with tobramycin (12 mg/kg od), teicoplanin (10 mg/kg bd), all administered by the intramuscular route for 4 days. The MICs and MBCs of penicillin, tobramycin and teicoplanin were 0.015 and 1 mg/L, 8 and 16 mg/L and 0.25 and 256 mg/L respectively. In the control rabbits, the mean (+/- S.D.) weights of the vegetations were 25 +/- 16 mg on day 7 and 45 +/- 34 mg on day 11 (P = 0.06). The mean (+/- S.D.) reductions in the number of cfu in the vegetations of the treated groups of animals after completion of therapy which had been started on days 7 and 11, compared with the mean numbers of cfu in the vegetations of the untreated controls on days 7 and 11 (delta log10 cfu/g), were 4.0 +/- 1.3 and 2.1 +/- 1.5 respectively for penicillin (P < 0.05), 3.2 +/- 1.8 and 2.4 +/- 1.8 respectively for teicoplanin and 5.4 +/- 1.2 and 5.2 +/- 1.2 respectively for the combination of penicillin and tobramycin. The increase in the size of the vegetations and changes in the metabolism of the bacteria within the vegetations between days 7 and 11, as demonstrated by electron microscopy, might explain why penicillin was more effective earlier in the course of the disease and why the influence of the duration of infection before treatment was initiated, varied according to the antibiotic regimen. These results suggest that the use of bactericidal regimens, such as the combination of penicillin and tobramycin, which are equally effective in reducing the bacterial counts in vegetations which have been infected for both long and short periods could minimize the risk of relapse in patients with endocarditis in whom there have been long delays before initiating treatment and/or who have large vegetations.

Gram-positive cocci are the most common pathogens in severe human eye infections. Streptococcal endophthalmitis is a devastating infection, and intravitreal antibiotic therapy is limited by retinal toxicity. Because few systemic antistreptococcal antibiotics penetrate into the vitreous, sparfloxacin, a newer quinolone with improved antistreptococcal activity, might be of interest. We therefore assessed its efficacy by the intravitreal route in a rabbit model of streptococcal endophthalmitis. The vitreal bacterial count (mean +/- standard deviation log10 CFU per milliliter) was significantly reduced after an intravitreal injection of 800 micrograms of sprafloxacin (4.9 +/- 0.7) relative to the counts in untreated control (7.1 +/- 0.7) and pefloxacin-treated (7.8 +/- 1.2) eyes. After systemic administration to rabbits, the maximum concentration of sparfloxacin in serum was 5.6 micrograms.ml-1 and the half-life was 7.5 h. Sparfloxacin exhibited very good penetration ratios in the vitreous (54%), cornea (76%), and lens (36%). In the vitreous, the levels of sparfloxacin remained greater than the MICs for most gram-positive cocci for up to 18 h. Further experimental studies are warranted to determine the efficacy of systemic sparfloxacin as adjuvant therapy in the treatment of human endophthalmitis.