Skip to main content
Log in

In vitro combined effects of fosfomycin and β-lactam antibiotics against penicillin-resistantStreptococcus pneumoniae

  • Original Articles
  • Published:
Journal of Infection and Chemotherapy

Abstract

We evaluated the combined effects of fosfomycin (FOM) with β-lactam antibiotics, including cefepime (CFPM), cefotaxime (CTX), cefminox (CMNX), cefotiam (CTM), cefazolin (CEZ), imipenem (IPM) and benzylpenicillin (PCG), against clinically-isolated penicillin-resistantStreptococcus pneumoniae (PRSP) based on fractional inhibitory concentration (FIC) indices. The combination of FOM and the β-lactam antibiotics showed synergy and partial synergy against 70% to 90% of the 56 PRSP strains tested. Moreover, FOM combined with CTM, CMNX and PCG showed synergy against 35.7%, 58.9%, and 30.4% of strains, respectively. MIC80s of the β-lactam antibiotics in combination with FOM, using the lowest concentrations clinically achievable in cerebrospinal fluid, were several times lower than those of each β-lactam antibiotic alone. The bactericidal activities of FOM and the β-lactam antibiotics against PRSP were greater when the 2 agents were added simultaneously than when added sequentially. The PBP profiles of PRSP exposed to a low concentration of FOM combined with CFPM, CTX, IPM or PCG were evaluated. In combination with FOM and any one of these β-lactam antibiotics, the binding of [14C]-PCG on all PBPs of a given PRSP strain was reduced in comparison with that in the presence of FOM or a β-lactam antibiotic alone.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Hansman D, Bullen MM. A resistant pneumococcus. Lancet 1967;2(7509):264–265.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. Sasaki S, Nagano K, Kimura Y, Jinushi Y, Nagata H, Uotani K, et al. Surveillance of the susceptibility of clinical isolates of various bacterial species to antibacterial agents. Jpn J Chemother 1995;43:12–26 (in Japanese).

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Oguri T, Misawa S, Igari J. In vitro antimicrobial activity of oral β-lactam antibiotics againstStreptococcus pneumoniae from clinical specimens. Jpn J Chemother 1995;43:531–538 (in Japanese).

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Viladrich PF, Gudiol F, Linares J, Rufi G, Ariza J, Pallares R, et al. Characteristic and antibiotic therapy of adult meningitis due to penicillin-resistant pneumococci. Am J Med 1988;84:839–846.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Bradley JS, Connor JD. Ceftriaxone failure in meningitis caused byStreptococcus pneumoniae with reduced susceptibility to beta-lactam antibiotics. Pediat Infect Dis J 1991;10:871–873.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Chandy CJ. Treatment failure with use of a third-generation cephalosporin for penicillin-resistant penumococcal meningitis: case report and review. Clin Infect Dis 1994;18:188–193.

    Google Scholar 

  7. Catalan MJ, Fernandez JM, Vazquez A, Valela de Seijas E, Suarez A, Bernaldo de Quiros JCL. Failure of cefotaxime in the treatment of meningitis due to relatively resistantStreptococcus pneumoniae. Clin Infect Dis 1994;18:766–769.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Megro H, Tamura M, Noguchi H, Hayakawa M, Inomata H, Terashima S. et al. Antimicrobial activities of carbapenem antibiotic, biapenem (L-627), against penicillin-resistantStreptococcus pneumoniae. Jpn J Antibiot 1994;47:1685–1690 (in Japanese).

    Google Scholar 

  9. Kikuchi K, Totsuka K, Shimizu K, Yoshida T, Orikasa Y. Effects of combination of benzylpenicillin and fosfomycin on penicillin-resistantStreptococcus pneumoniae. Microbial Drug Resist 1995;1:185–189.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Japanese Society for Chemotherapy. Method for the determination of minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of bacteria by microdilution method. Chemotherapy 1990;38:102–105 (in Japanese).

    Google Scholar 

  11. Barenbaum MC. A method for testing for synergy with any number of agents. J. Infect Dis 1978;137:122–130.

    Google Scholar 

  12. Spratt BG. Properties of penicillin binding proteins ofEscherichia coli K12. Eur J Biochem 1977;72:341–352.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Spratt BG, Pardee AB. Penicillin-binding proteins and cell shape inE. coli. Nature 1975;254:516–517.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Utsui Y, Ohya T, Magaribuchi R, Tajima M, Yokota T. Antibacterial activity of cefmetazole alone and in combination with fosfomycin against methicillin and cephemresistantStaphylococcus aureus. Antimicrob Agents Chemother 1986;30:917–922.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Klugman KP. Pneumococcal resistance to antibiotics. Clinical Microbial Rev 1990;3:171–196.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. Committee on Infectious Diseases. Treatment of bacterial meningitis. Pediatrics 1988;81:904–907.

    Google Scholar 

  17. Viladrich P, Gudiol F, Linares J, Pallares R, Sabate I, Rufi G, et al. Evaluation of vancomycin for therapy of adult pneumococcal meningitis. Antimicrob Agents Chemother 1991;35:2467–2472.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. Brakett V, Lasage F, Delisle B, Burghouffer G, Richard G, Vergez P, et al. Synergy of ceftriaxone and fosfomycin against penicillin-resistant pneumococci. J Antimicrob Chemother 1991;31:105–109.

    Google Scholar 

  19. Sugiura M, Kitamura K. Transfer of fosfomycin sodium into cerebrospinal fluid. Prog Med 1982;2:1161–1169 (in Japanese).

    Google Scholar 

  20. Ito H, Ikeda K, Kawano H, Kitabayashi M, Maeda M, Ishise J, et al. Transfer of fosfomycin into cerebrospinal fluid. Jpn J Antibiot 1982;5:2530–2534 (in Japanese).

    Google Scholar 

  21. Smith AM, Klugman KP, Coffey TJ, Spratt BG. Genetic diversity of penicillin-binding protein 2B and 2X genes fromStreptococcus pneumoniae in South Africa. Antimicrob Agents Chemother 1993;37:1938–1944.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  22. Smith AM, Klugman KP. Alterations in penicillin-binding protein 2B from penicillin-resistant wild-type strains ofStreptococcus pneumoniae. Antimicrob Agents Chemother 1995;39:859–867.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

About this article

Cite this article

Totsuka, K., Uchiyama, T., Shimizu, K. et al. In vitro combined effects of fosfomycin and β-lactam antibiotics against penicillin-resistantStreptococcus pneumoniae . J Infect Chemother 3, 49–54 (1997). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02489184

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02489184

Key words

Navigation