The rate of bactericidal action of penicillin in vitro as a function of its concentration, and its paradoxically reduced activity at high concentrations against certain organisms - PubMed (original) (raw)
The rate of bactericidal action of penicillin in vitro as a function of its concentration, and its paradoxically reduced activity at high concentrations against certain organisms
H EAGLE et al. J Exp Med. 1948 Jul.
Abstract
1. The concentrations of penicillin G which (a) reduced the net rate of multiplication, (b) exerted a net bactericidal effect, and (c) killed the organisms at a maximal rate, have been defined for a total of 41 strains of alpha- and beta-hemolytic streptococci, Staphylococcus aureus and Staphylococcus albus, Diplococcus pneumoniae, and the Reiter treponoma. 2. The concentration which killed the organisms at a maximal rate was 2 to 20 times the minimal effective level ("sensitivity" as ordinarily defined). With some organisms, even a 32,000-fold increase beyond this maximally effective level did not further increase the rate of its bactericidal effect. However, with approximately half the strains here studied (all 4 strains of group B beta-hemolytic streptococci, 4 of 5 group C strains, 5 of 7 strains of Streptococcus fecalis, 2 of 4 other alpha-hemolytic streptococci, and 4 of 9 strains of staphylococci), when the concentration of penicillin was increased beyond that optimal level, the rate at which the organisms died was paradoxically reduced rather than increased, so that the maximal effect was obtained only within a relatively narrow optimal zone. 3. There were marked differences between bacterial species, and occasionally between different strains of the same species, not only with respect to the effective concentrations of penicillin, but also with respect to the maximal rate at which they could be killed by the drug in any concentration. Although there was a rough correlation between these two factors, there were many exceptions; individual strains affected only by high concentrations of penicillin might nevertheless be killed rapidly, while strains sensitive to minute concentrations might be killed only slowly. 4. Within the same bacterial suspension, individual organisms varied only to a minor degree with respect to the effective concentrations of penicillin. They varied strikingly, however, in their resistance to penicillin as measured by the times required to kill varying proportions of the cells.
Similar articles
- Reverse inoculum effect in bactericidal activity and other variables affecting killing of group B streptococci by penicillin.
Jokipii L, Brander P, Jokipii AM. Jokipii L, et al. Antimicrob Agents Chemother. 1985 Jun;27(6):948-52. doi: 10.1128/AAC.27.6.948. Antimicrob Agents Chemother. 1985. PMID: 3896137 Free PMC article. - Penicillin failure and copathogenicity in streptococcal pharyngotonsillitis.
Brook I. Brook I. J Fam Pract. 1994 Feb;38(2):175-9. J Fam Pract. 1994. PMID: 8308510 Review.
Cited by
- Exploiting thiol-functionalized benzosiloxaboroles for achieving diverse substitution patterns - synthesis, characterization and biological evaluation of promising antibacterial agents.
Nowicki K, Krajewska J, Stępniewski TM, Wielechowska M, Wińska P, Kaczmarczyk A, Korpowska J, Selent J, Marek-Urban PH, Durka K, Woźniak K, Laudy AE, Luliński S. Nowicki K, et al. RSC Med Chem. 2024 Mar 20;15(5):1751-1772. doi: 10.1039/d4md00061g. eCollection 2024 May 22. RSC Med Chem. 2024. PMID: 38784477 Free PMC article. - Ethynyl-substituted benzosiloxaboroles: the role of C(π)⋯B interactions in their crystal packing and use in Cu(i)-catalyzed 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition.
Pacholak P, Durka K, Woźniak K, Krajewska J, Laudy AE, Luliński S. Pacholak P, et al. RSC Adv. 2024 May 17;14(23):16069-16082. doi: 10.1039/d4ra02137a. eCollection 2024 May 15. RSC Adv. 2024. PMID: 38765480 Free PMC article. - The evolution of resistance to synergistic multi-drug combinations is more complex than evolving resistance to each individual drug component.
Lozano-Huntelman NA, Bullivant A, Chacon-Barahona J, Valencia A, Ida N, Zhou A, Kalhori P, Bello G, Xue C, Boyd S, Kremer C, Yeh PJ. Lozano-Huntelman NA, et al. Evol Appl. 2023 Nov 15;16(12):1901-1920. doi: 10.1111/eva.13608. eCollection 2023 Dec. Evol Appl. 2023. PMID: 38143903 Free PMC article. - A Highly Efficacious Electrical Biofilm Treatment System for Combating Chronic Wound Bacterial Infections.
Zhao F, Su Y, Wang J, Romanova S, DiMaio DJ, Xie J, Zhao S. Zhao F, et al. Adv Mater. 2023 Feb;35(6):e2208069. doi: 10.1002/adma.202208069. Epub 2022 Dec 20. Adv Mater. 2023. PMID: 36385439 Free PMC article. - Selection of an Appropriate In Vitro Susceptibility Test for Assessing Anti-Pythium insidiosum Activity of Potassium Iodide, Triamcinolone Acetonide, Dimethyl Sulfoxide, and Ethanol.
Yolanda H, Lohnoo T, Rujirawat T, Yingyong W, Kumsang Y, Sae-Chew P, Payattikul P, Krajaejun T. Yolanda H, et al. J Fungi (Basel). 2022 Oct 24;8(11):1116. doi: 10.3390/jof8111116. J Fungi (Basel). 2022. PMID: 36354883 Free PMC article.
References
- Br Med J. 1945 Jan 27;1(4386):107-10 - PubMed
- Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1945 Jan;31(1):16-24 - PubMed
- J Bacteriol. 1946 Feb;51(2):181-6 - PubMed
- Br Med J. 1948 Feb 28;1(4547):382-6 - PubMed
- J Exp Med. 1944 Dec 1;80(6):493-505 - PubMed