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Effect of Clindamycin on Cytotoxin Production by Clostridium difficile
Author(s) -
Nakamura Shinichi,
Mikawa Masato,
Tanabe Naomi,
Yamakawa Kiyotaka,
Nishida Shoki
Publication year - 1982
Publication title -
microbiology and immunology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.664
H-Index - 70
eISSN - 1348-0421
pISSN - 0385-5600
DOI - 10.1111/j.1348-0421.1982.tb00248.x
Subject(s) - microbiology and biotechnology , clindamycin , biology , antibacterial agent , toxin , penicillin , antibiotics
A total of 80 strains of Clostridium difficile , 33 toxigenic and 11 nontoxigenic clindamycin (CLDM)‐sensitive (MIC less than 12.5 μg/ml), and 23 toxigenic and 13 nontoxigenic CLDM‐resistant (MIC 200 to 6,400 μg/ml) were tested for cytotoxin production in the presence of CLDM. None of the 24 nontoxigenic strains produced cytotoxin regardless of the presence of CLDM and only six out of the 56 toxigenic strains showed 16‐ to 64‐fold higher levels of cytotoxic activity in the presence of CLDM at the concentrations of 1/2 to 1/32 of the MIC than in the absence of CLDM; all of the six strains were CLDM sensitive. Further studies revealed that addition of CLDM to the culture caused enhanced cytotoxin synthesis, and that the maximum production of cytotoxin was obtained when CLDM was added to the medium at the time of inoculation or of the ensuing early logarithmic phase. Also, the influence of other antibiotics on the effect of CLDM was examined. Addition of metronidazole, vancomycin, chloramphenicol, cephaloridine, or penicillin, which induced cytotoxin to medium containing CLDM did not increase the effect of CLDM any further. Addition of CLDM to medium containing tetracycline, which inhibited cytotoxin production, induced cytotoxin production but not fully.