Paldimycin

The in-vitro activities of five anti-staphylococcal agents, teicoplanin, ramoplanin, paldimycin, DuP 721 and DuP 105 have been compared to vancomycin. Minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) and minimum bactericidal concentrations (MBCs) have been determined for a collection of methicillin and gentamicin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MGRSA), comprising 75 strains obtained from 22 centres. In terms of geometric mean MICs (inoculum size 10(5) cfu) paldimycin was the most active agent (0.4 mg/l) followed by ramoplanin (0.75 mg/l), teicoplanin (1.0 mg/l), DuP 721 and vancomycin (2.0 mg/l) and DuP 105 (6.8 mg/l). Ramoplanin was bactericidal within six hours to all strains at a concentration of 1.0 mg/l. The MBC90s for vancomycin and teicoplanin were greater than 32 mg/l after 22 h exposure to antibiotic and 2.5 and 4.0 mg/l respectively after 26 h exposure. Paldimycin was bactericidal against only some strains, while DuP 721 and DuP 105 were not bactericidal. Ramoplanin is the most interesting of the new antibiotics, on account of its rapid and consistent bactericidal activity.

At concentrations below the MIC, paldimycin induced changes in Staphylococcus aureus 502A (UC 9116, ATCC 28417) which increased its sensitivity to serum. The enhanced sensitivity to serum was concentration dependent with the maximal sensitivity found when bacteria were grown in approximately 1/10 MIC of paldimycin. Within an 1-hour incubation, S. aureus 502A typically grew 1.5-2-fold in serum. Following exposure to paldimycin, however, approximately 30-50% of the bacteria were killed in serum. The paldimycin treated bacteria were not more susceptible to phagocytosis and killing by polymorphonuclear leukocytes. At the concentrations utilized, the Staphylococci were enlarged and had thickened cell walls. The organisms were still viable and replicating, but irregularities in cell division were observed in transmission electron micrographs.

The in vitro activities of daptomycin (LY146032), paldimycin (U-70,138F), vancomycin, and penicillin G against 344 clinical isolates of anaerobic gram-positive bacteria were determined by an agar dilution method in calcium-supplemented (50 micrograms/ml) Wilkins-Chalgren medium, using an inoculum of 10(5) CFU. Daptomycin demonstrated excellent activity against a broad range of anaerobic gram-positive cocci and bacilli, including Peptostreptococcus, Eubacterium, Bifidobacterium, Actinomyces, Propionibacterium, and Lactobacillus species and Clostridium difficile. Highly resistant strains (MIC, greater than or equal to 64 micrograms/ml) were encountered sporadically from different genera, but these accounted for only 3% of all isolates tested. Vancomycin showed similar activity but was less active against Lactobacillus species and Peptostreptococcus prevotii. Paldimycin was inactive against most genera of anaerobic gram-positive bacteria. Overall, penicillin G remained the most broadly active agent against these isolates.