Comparison of cefoperazone with penicillin, ampicillin, gentamicin, and chloramphenicol in the therapy of experimental meningitis

Antimicrob Agents Chemother. 1982 Oct;22(4):652-6. doi: 10.1128/AAC.22.4.652.

Abstract

Cefoperazone was compared with penicillin against Streptococcus pneumoniae, gentamicin against Escherichia coli, and ampicillin and chloramphenicol against Haemophilus influenzae in the therapy of experimental meningitis in rabbits. Meningitis was produced by intracisternal inoculation into cerebrospinal fluid, and all antibiotics were administered intravenously over 8 h in dosages that would achieve serum levels comparable to those found in humans. The mean percent penetration into purulent cerebrospinal fluid, expressed as (cerebrospinal fluid concentration/serum concentration) x 100%, was 2.6% for penicillin, 22.0% for gentamicin, 12.1% for ampicillin, 23.8% for chloramphenicol, and 6.4% for cefoperazone. The mean cerebrospinal fluid antibiotic concentrations exceeded the minimum bactericidal concentration for the test strain in each experimental model, except for ampicillin in experimental meningitis due to the beta-lactamase-producing H. influenzae. Cefoperazone produced a significantly faster bactericidal effect after 4 h of treatment when compared with penicillin (P = 0.037) and ampicillin (P = 0.01) in meningitis caused by S. pneumoniae and H. influenzae (ampicillin susceptible), respectively. In meningitis caused by E. coli, cefoperazone was significantly (P = 0.006) more rapidly bactericidal after 8 h of treatment when compared to gentamicin. In addition, cefoperazone was significantly more rapidly bactericidal than either ampicillin or chloramphenicol in experimental meningitis due to beta-lactamase-producing H. influenzae. Cefoperazone deserves further evaluation in the therapy of bacterial meningitis in humans.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study

MeSH terms

  • Ampicillin / therapeutic use
  • Animals
  • Anti-Bacterial Agents / cerebrospinal fluid
  • Anti-Bacterial Agents / therapeutic use*
  • Cefoperazone
  • Cephalosporins / therapeutic use*
  • Chloramphenicol / therapeutic use
  • Gentamicins / therapeutic use
  • Meningitis / drug therapy*
  • Meningitis / microbiology
  • Penicillins / therapeutic use
  • Rabbits

Substances

  • Anti-Bacterial Agents
  • Cephalosporins
  • Gentamicins
  • Penicillins
  • Chloramphenicol
  • Ampicillin
  • Cefoperazone