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Effects of subminimal inhibitory concentrations of chloramphenicol, erythromycin and penicillin on group A streptococci

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Abstract

Group A streptococci strains were grown in broth containing subminimal inhibitory concentrations of chloramphenicol, erythromycin and penicillin, and tested for possible changes in colonial morphology, activity and amount of cellular and extracellular components. The following components were tested: T protein, M protein, opacity factor, lipoteichoic acid, hyaluronic acid, streptolysin S, streptolysin O, DNase, hyaluronidase and NADase. Sub-MICs of these drugs produced variable changes in the bacteria. They increased the amount of hyaluronic acid and hyaluronidase, decreased the amount of M protein, and enhanced phagocytosis and the release of lipoteichoic acid. The results indicate that sub-MICs of chloramphenicol, erythromycin and penicillin may affect the pathogenicity and toxinogenicity of group A streptococci.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Clinical Microbiology, Hadassah University Hospital, Mount Scopus, Jerusalem, Israel

    J. Michel, R. Borinski & Z. Kornberg

  2. National Streptococcal Reference Laboratory, Government Central Laboratories, Jerusalem, Israel

    M. Ferne & S. Bergner-Rabinowitz

  3. Department of Oral Biology, Hebrew University, Hadassah School of Dental Medicine, Jerusalem, Israel

    I. Ginsburg

Authors
  1. J. Michel
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  2. M. Ferne
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  3. R. Borinski
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  4. Z. Kornberg
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  5. S. Bergner-Rabinowitz
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  6. I. Ginsburg
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Michel, J., Ferne, M., Borinski, R. et al. Effects of subminimal inhibitory concentrations of chloramphenicol, erythromycin and penicillin on group A streptococci. Eur. J, Clin. Microbiol. 1, 375–380 (1982). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02019938

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