Open AccessThe Effect of the Nitroimidazole Drug Dimetridazole on Microaerophilic Campylobacters
Author(s) -
D.S. Fernie,
Daphne Ware,
R. W. A. Park
Publication year - 1977
Publication title -
journal of medical microbiology/journal of medical microbiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.91
H-Index - 117
eISSN - 1473-5644
pISSN - 0022-2615
DOI - 10.1099/00222615-10-2-233
Subject(s) - microaerophile , nitroimidazole , campylobacter , microbiology and biotechnology , anaerobic exercise , bacteria , biology , anaerobic bacteria , strain (injury) , chemistry , physiology , genetics , organic chemistry , anatomy
Dimetridazole, a nitroimidazole drug reported to act only on obligately anaerobic micro-organisms, is widely used for the prevention and treatment of swine dysentery. Forty-four strains of the microaerophilic bacterium Campylobacter coli isolated from either healthy or diseased pigs, and a strain of Campylobacter fetus, were all sensitive to dimetridazole. The sensitivities (minimal inhibitory concentration less than 10 microng per ml) were similar to those of anaerobic bacteria. Dimetridazole inhibited growth of campylobacters in a shaken culture in air, but did not inhibit uptake of oxygen. Inhibition of growth appeared to result from an inhibition of nucleic-acid synthesis and does not seem to depend upon interference with electron transport in the catabolism of pyruvate.